Douglass-Truth Branch Architecture
The expanded Douglass-Truth Branch is the 21st project completed under the "Libraries for All" building program.
The addition was designed by Schacht Aslani Architects and built by Construction Enterprises and Contractors Inc.
About the Building
The contemporary design of the Douglass-Truth Branch expansion preserves the form of the historic building and clearly defines the new structure. Most of the addition is below street level, to ensure the original building dominates the site.
A grand staircase extends east to the lower level, which is bathed in light from an expanse of windows and skylights. The brick and terracotta exterior wall of the historic building is still visible from the stair landing and the hall to the meeting room. Copper was chosen for the exterior of the addition because it is an old-world material that ties in with the copper gutters of the original building.