SMBH Does That: Civic Edition

We are proud to have been on the team for the Kanawha Public Library in Charleston, West Virginia, which recently earned an Honor Award for Excellence in Architecture from the West Virginia AIA.

As the largest public library system in West Virginia, the library boasts a collection of 600,000 items, half of which are housed at the Main Library. Originally built in 1911 as a Post Office, the Library moved into the building in 1966. The more than century-old four-floor existing library had outgrown its capacity, so an 80,000 SF addition and renovation was designed and built.

The addition included improvements to meeting and study rooms, browseable collections space, a cafe, an idea lab, a local history room, outdoor public gardens and plazas for programmed and spontaneous use, and a pedestrian bridge that leads to the library parking garage. The new entrance designed for the project is fully ADA accessible, with direct access to all library floors.

Thank you to our design partners, Silling and HBM. We loved being on the team!

Check out the latest photos we just got in for this fantastic project below!