Burton Barr Central Library

History

The building was funded by a 1988 bond issue and replaced a nearby 1950s-era facility on McDowell Road that is now part of the Phoenix Art Museum.

Design

The design for the Burton Barr Central Library was a collaboration between DWL Architects and Will Bruder. The five-story building opened in May 1995 and is 280,000 square feet (26,000 m2). Vertical circulation through the building is facilitated by a central open core containing three high-speed elevators and a five-level grand staircase known as the "crystal canyon." The building incorporates a roof structure inspired by Buckminster Fuller's tensegrity structures and features shade sails on the north facade and motorized louvers on the south facade for improved sun control. An open, 1 acre reading room comprises the fifth floor. A summer solstice celebration is held there annually, where the lighting effects are best observed. At solar noon, some of the roof skylights project circles of sunlight directly down the north-south midline axis of the library, with some reaching the ground floor lobby. Sunlight simultaneously washes the upper eastern and western walls of the fifth level.

Incidents

On July 15, 2017, the library sustained water damage from a broken sprinkler system, caused by a storm passing through the city. About 6000 books were damaged. The library reopened on June 16, 2018.

Library facilities

Great Reading Room

The great reading room on the fifth floor is 1 acre in area, one of the largest in the US. It houses many study areas and the nonfiction collection.

hive @ central

hive @ central is located on the second floor of the library and is a discovery space for business entrepreneurs. It is open to the public and offers free services.

Arizona Room

The Arizona Room is located on the second floor and houses a research collection focused on Southwestern heritage, lifestyle, and geography from prehistoric times to the present.

College Depot at Phoenix Public Library

College Depot at Phoenix Public Library is a free, full-service college planning center. It provides a team of advisors and offers workshops and one-on-one appointments regarding admissions, financial aid, and scholarships.

Teen Central

Teen Central is a 5,000 square-foot area located on the fourth floor. It is reserved for teens between the ages of 12 and 18. The area offers workshops, computers and study areas, as well as a "living room" with a drop-down screen where movies are shown. In addition to the collection of books, CDs, and DVDs, there is also an art gallery.

Children's Place

Children's Place is a 10,000 square-foot space located on the first floor. It contains a story room, auditorium, and outdoor children's garden. An addition and renovation by Will Bruder Architects, which will nearly double the area of the space, is currently in the works.

MACH1

MACH1 is a maker-space located on the fourth floor. It offers free programs to the public such as video game design, coding, video editing, science, astrobiology, and robotics.

Rare Book Room

Located on the fourth floor, the Rare Book Room offers a collection of 3,400 items and free tours.

Central Gallery

Central Gallery is a fine art exhibition gallery located on the first floor. It features work by Arizona artists who are not currently represented by a gallery.

Recognition

Burton Barr Central Library has won several local, national, and international awards, including:

• 2021 Twenty-five Year Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• 1995 Honor Award, AIA Arizona
• 1997 Award of Excellence, AIA/American Library Association
• 1995 Honor Award, AIA Western Mountain Region
• 1995 Excellence in Concrete Award, American Concrete Institute Arizona Chapter
• 1995 Best New Building, Phoenix New Times The library was chosen as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride in 2008. In 2010, the library received a LEED Existing Buildings Silver 2.0 designation. It was awarded in the "existing buildings" category, rather than new construction, as LEED was not created until 1998, three years after the facility was opened.

References

References

1. "Phoenix Public Library: Who is Burton Barr?".
2. (26 June 2015). "Burton Barr Phoenix Central Library".
3. "Burton Barr Central Library – Phoenix, Arizona".
4. (May 1995). "Check it Out, A look at Our New Phoenix Central Library". The Arizona Republic/The Phoenix Gazette.
5. "Phoenix's Central Library becomes light spectacle on solstice".
6. Goth, Brenna. (August 9, 2017). "Weeks after Burton Barr Central Library closure, Phoenix scrambles to replicate services".
7. (June 16, 2018). "Burton Barr Library's reopening lights up Phoenix: 'Wow!' 'Cool!' 'Awesome!'".
8. "hive Home".
9. "Arizona Room – Burton Barr Central Library".
10. "College Depot Home".
11. "Teen Central – Burton Barr Central Library".
12. "Phoenix's library branches, by popularity".
13. (24 March 2016). "PCL children's revamp".
14. "Teens MACH – a space for makers, artists, crafters, and hackers". Phoenix Public Library.
15. "Burton Barr Central Library Rare Book Room".
16. "@Central Gallery – Burton Barr Central Library".
17. "Burton Barr Phoenix Central Library".
18. "Honors + Awards".
19. [https://www.phoenix.gov/pio/points-of-pride List of Phoenix Points of Pride]
20. U.S. Green Building Council, Burton Barr Central Library, http://www.usgbc.org/projects/burton-barr-central-library.