Two public libraries in Washington have been recognized for their architectural designs.
According to the D.C. Public Library (DCPL), the West End Library and the Cleveland Park Library have received the D.C. Chapter Design and Urban Catalyst awards distributed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
In an April 18 press release, DCPL Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan said that they acknowledge the work of good design in creating libraries as places of transformation.
“These new libraries will please, serve and inspire their communities for decades to come,” he said in the statement. DCPL is a network that operates 25 libraries across the District of Columbia.
The West End Library, which opened in 2017, is on 2310 L Street NW. The Georgetown-based architecture firm CORE designed its interior. Operational since 2018, the Cleveland Park Library is on 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW. Gilbane and Perkins Eastman D.C. partnered with Saxon Collaborative under the library’s Mentor-Protégé program.
According to DCPL, the nation’s capital has invested half a billion dollars to modernize its libraries since 2009. And so far, nearly half of the 20 District-rebuilt or renovated libraries have received honors from AIA|DC.
The 2018 awards of the architecture group for D.C. projects can be viewed here.