Corvallis-Benton County Library Addition

Centrally located in downtown Corvallis, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library is a vital and cherished community resource. Originally constructed in 1932 and designed by the renowned northwest architect Pietro Belluschi, the facility has been expanded and adapted several times since its initial construction to better serve the public.

 

Our project enclosed an existing exterior patio space on the 2nd floor of an addition added in 1992. It completely transformed this previously underutilized space into a welcoming new interior area that expands and improves the public programmatic offerings of the Library. The expansion created several new much-needed spaces, including a multi-purpose classroom, a quiet reading room, and four study rooms, all with great views east toward downtown Corvallis and the Courthouse.

The existing patio was a long, narrow space that sat unused and separated the Library from views east, with windows overlooking an empty terrace instead of the wonderful views downtown. Because the narrow proportion of the patio was not ideal for the function of the new interior areas the Library required, the work included opening up areas of the existing exterior brick wall to allow the reworking of the interior areas adjacent to the patio. This provided the opportunity to size the new spaces based on their function and truly connect the existing interior to the newly-created areas and views.

Location
Corvallis, OR

Size
1,000 sf renovation
1,000 sf expansion

Completion
2022

Collaborators
Nossa Norman Design Studio
KPFF Structural
Glumac
Wildish Construction

Photography
Pete Eckert