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Clearwater Main Library
Clearwater, FL
City of Clearwater | 92,000 SF | 2004
Uniquely sited on a bluff overlooking a public park, Intracoastal Waterway and Gulf of Mexico, the Clearwater Main Library is a locally recognizable landmark, a source of civic pride, and a community-wide learning resource. The 92,000 square foot library offers a local history center, café, computer lab, teen room, gallery space, expansive reading areas and a children's collection.
The street façade presents an urbane and dignified civic building by using traditional local materials such as cast stone and stucco. The garden façade opens onto the park and the waterfront, and features four stories of curtain wall glass that showcases panoramic views. A trellis-covered rooftop terrace provides additional views and an ideal space for social events.
Library features includes distributed network-cataloging systems, electronic smart cards, and magnetic locks that limit access to the building and selected interior areas, such as special collections. The main conference room, executive board room, and children's/young adult rooms are each equipped with plasma displays and electronic writing tablets at the speaker's podiums.
Harvard Jolly designed the library in conjunction with Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
