LIBRARY CONNECTION SATELLITE LIBRARY
Situated on an oddly shaped lot across from Adams Square in Glendale, the new Library Connection Satellite Library—the Glendale Library’s first-ever satellite branch—is anything but square. Exercising design muscle honed from years of building schools and institutions, Glendale-based Osborn Architects challenges the notion of a traditional library throughout.
The semi-circular satellite library is located in the front of a brick building that was once part of an open-air market but now contains an office and retail store. Rather than fill the space with intensive stacks, Osborn pushed the books to the periphery, opening up the center for community interaction. A custom semi-transparent flex shelving system made of laser-cut acrylic panels holds books along three exterior walls, allowing for maximum natural lighting. Stack shelving along the fourth wall accommodates the rest of the constantly evolving collection. Acoustic tiles are hung from the double-height ceilings almost as ornament. Bright chairs and tables by Magis and colorful Baleri ottomans adorn the central community space, inviting visitors to sit, read, or hang around on the communal laptops. The result is a cheerful, transparent, and inviting space that constantly captures the attention of people on the busy intersection outside as they pass by.
