The building was funded by a 1988 bond issue and replaced a nearby 1950s-era facility on McDowell Road that is now part of the Phoenix Art Museum.
Design
The design for the Burton Barr Central Library was a collaboration between DWL Architects and Will Bruder.[3] The five-story building opened in May 1995 and is 280,000 square feet (26,000 m2). Vertical circulation through the building is facilitated by a central open core containing three high-speed elevators and a five-level grand staircase known as the "crystal canyon."[2] The building incorporates a roof structure inspired by Buckminster Fuller's tensegrity structures and features shade sails on the north facade and motorized louvers on the south facade for improved sun control.[4] An open, 1-acre (0.40 ha) reading room comprises the fifth floor. A summer solstice celebration is held there annually, where the lighting effects are best observed. At solar noon, some of the roof skylights project circles of sunlight directly down the north-south midline axis of the library, with some reaching the ground floor lobby. Sunlight simultaneously washes the upper eastern and western walls of the fifth level.[5]
Incidents
On July 15, 2017, the library sustained water damage from a broken sprinkler system, caused by a storm passing through the city.[6] About 6000 books were damaged. The library reopened on June 16, 2018.[7]
Library facilities
Great Reading Room
The great reading room on the fifth floor is 1 acre in area, one of the lar in the US. It houses many study areas and the nonfiction collection.[2]
hive @ central
hive @ central is located on the second floor of the library and is a discovery space for business entrepreneurs. It is open to the public and offers free services.[8]
Arizona Room
The Arizona Room is located on the second floor and houses a research collection focused on Southwestern heritage, lifestyle, and geography from prehistoric times to the present.[9]
College Depot at Phoenix Public Library
College Depot at Phoenix Public Library is a free, full-service college planning center. It provides a team of advisors and offers workshops and one-on-one appointments regarding admissions, financial aid, and scholarships.[10]
Teen Central
Teen Central is a 5,000 square-foot area located on the fourth floor. It is reserved for teens between the ages of 12 and 18. The area offers workshops, computers and study areas, as well as a "living room" with a drop-down screen where movies are shown. In addition to the collection of books, CDs, and DVDs, there is also an art gallery.[11]
Children's Place
Library entrance
Children's Place is a 10,000 square-foot space located on the first floor. It contains a story room, auditorium,[12] and outdoor children's garden. An addition and renovation by Will Bruder Architects, which will nearly double the area of the space, is currently in the works.[13]
MACH1
MACH1 is a maker-space located on the fourth floor. It offers free programs to the public such as video game design, coding, video editing, science, astrobiology, and robotics.[14]
Rare Book Room
Located on the fourth floor, the Rare Book Room offers a collection of 3,400 items and free tours.[15]
Central Gallery
Central Gallery is a fine art exhibition gallery located on the first floor. It features work by Arizona artists who are not currently represented by a gallery.[16]
Recognition
Burton Barr Central Library has won several local, national, and international awards, including:
The library was chosen as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride in 2008.[19] In 2010, the library received a LEED Existing Buildings Silver 2.0 designation.[20] It was awarded in the "existing buildings" category, rather than new construction, as LEED was not created until 1998, three years after the facility was opened.