menu
159 Western Avenue West, Suite 486
Seattle, Washington 98119
office 206 775-8668
email hello
Kenmore Library
responding to the City’s desire for a more pedestrian-friendly downtown, the library meets the street with a small pedestrian plaza, while cars are parked in a below-grade garage accessed from the side of the building
Kenmore Library
the intimately-scaled entry plaza is warm and inviting in the evening
Kenmore Library
a 12-foot roof overhang on the south façade prevents the summer sun from directly entering the space
Kenmore Library
floor-to-ceiling glass walls allow for transparency into and through the reading room, announcing the public space to the community
Kenmore Library
two rows of central skylights with inward-sloping light wells provide natural light that is abundant, even, and diffuse throughout the reading room
Kenmore Library
brightly colored bookshelves define the extent of the children's area within the open space
Kenmore Library
the community reading room features comfortable seating and views to the library's new garden
Kenmore Library
reclaimed teak siding and a cantilevered glass and steel entry canopy announce the library’s front entrance

Location Kenmore, Washington

Client King County Library System

Awards AIA Washington Civic Design Awards, Honor Award, 2012

AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Awards, Citation, 2012

AIA Seattle Honor Awards for Washington Architecture, Commendation, 2011

Kenmore Library

Kenmore Library serves a suburban community largely bypassed by recent development in the region. Located in the downtown core––a mix of 1960s retail buildings, abundant surface parking, and busy highway––the library offers much needed community and pedestrian-oriented space.

To accommodate changes in the continuing evolution of library services, the design is flexible, interconnected, and adaptable. There are no fixed structural elements that limit internal organization. The reading room is open and features continuous glazing on the public facades. A delicate and innovative steel tension-rod roof truss system clear-spans the 75’ x 90’ space. Optimum solar orientation and central skylights fill the library with balanced and diffused natural light.

“This is an example of architecture as a catalyst for change; this is a building that inspires and activates its site. The open plan has a very transparent interface between the street, the library, and the garden. It is a modest project with real dignity in its execution.” – 2011 AIA Seattle Honor Awards Jury

A Weinstein AU project.  Matt Aalfs: Project Manager / Project Architect / Lead Designer; photos © Lara Swimmer Photography