Trout Architects worked with the Boise Library on a conceptual design which engaged the corner of the existing downtown facility at 8th and River with the street and the existing and proposed new neighborhood activities.
A new entry is proposed to be established with colored acrylic panels on that corner. The entry is envisioned to be colorful and dynamic with special overhead doors and gates which, when open would have created a sculptural element to the building and streetscape. The entry will lead up to the Library’s new bookstore, coffee shop, study area, marker space, public restrooms and the reorganized audio/visual collection.
A main diagonal corridor will be extended from the street entry to a newly relocated circulation and information desk. This corridor slices through the existing closely spaced column grid offering access to the new rooms and functions.
Large multifaceted windows, both inside and outside, are proposed that will offer select views into the activities of the rooms in order to encourage knowledge and participation. The coffee shop and study rooms are open to the corridor and offer opportunities for interaction with other patrons of the library and provide views of the nearby street.
Design Team: Steve Trout, Brad Dunbar, Courtney King, Sally Stevens