The Phoenix Central Library has become a
landmark on the Phoenix skyline and an icon of late 20th century modern architecture.
It has quickly become a point of community pride while serving the region’s
library and information needs. The library houses a 1,000,000 volume collection
within its 280,000 square feet. The great reading room on the fifth floor,
housing the nonfiction collection, is the largest reading room in North America.
Using a single, central open core, the ‘crystal canyon’ provides
vertical circulation with three high-speed elevators and the grand staircase,
a plan arrangement that renders all collections accessible and easy to find.
The combination of innovative computer cabling, lighting, furniture design,
and layout strategies with the library’s digital and real information
has given the library a unique flexibility to meet changes in operation gracefully
and economically. The library is often cited as an example of green architecture,
addressing many issues of environmentally sustainable design. The thermal
mass of the walls and a highly efficient mechanical system cut energy usage
to one-third the amount initially projected by city planners and utility experts.
The Phoenix Central Library was completed in 1995 at a cost of $28,000,000,
$98.00 per square foot.
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