University of Louisiana at Monroe - New Library

Architect: Blitch Knevel Architects, New Orleans
Location: Monroe
Cost: $26 million
Project Design Team: Ronald B. Blitch
General Contractor: Lincoln Builders Inc., Ruston

This new 210,000-sq.-ft. university library has become the "signature" building and focal point for the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). The library is strategically located in the center of the ULM campus on Bayou DeSiard, between the university's academic buildings and residential and athletic facilities.

The main focal point of the $26 million, seven-story structure is the Bell Tower, designed on axis with Northeast Drive so that visitors to the campus focus directly ahead on the library as they approach the university from US 165 in Monroe.

The library's exterior forms recall the original campus' buildings from the 1930s, in an art deco style with modernist overtones. Major materials include face brick, cast stone and specially shaped masonry units and terra cotta colored sloped metal roofs.

The building is layered into two major zones, with separate entrances. The lower five levels are the library floors, with stack space for 600,000 volumes and study space for 2,000 students at one time. The upper two levels contain administrative and executive offices for the university, and a conference center and meeting facility with full food service capabilities.

The shape of the library is basically a square within a circle. The square library floors allow for greater flexibility for stack location and furniture changes over the years, with specialty departments (media, archives, government documents, computer labs etc.) projecting out in the "circle" of the building on the lower levels.

A central organizing and orientation feature of the library is a seven-story atrium through the entire structure. A monumental stair from levels one to four facilitates student movement within the library, taking pressure off the main elevator bank.

The ground level of the building has a continuous recessed arcade to provide all-weather access to library users. Service access, engineering and delivery are all provided at one side of the building, with a detached central plant building containing both electric and gas-fired chillers to give the university maximum control over energy costs.

More than 50 seminar and meeting rooms are located throughout the main library floors, of three sizes to accommodate student group study. Additionally, 40 private study rooms are provided for long-term research projects.

Art deco features are incorporated into the library interior as well. Terrazzo patterns in colors of maroon, cream, charcoal and dark green are used on main level concourses and in other public lobbies. The glass storefront within the seven-level atrium also incorporates deco geometrics to recall the university's heritage.

Furniture has been custom designed to complement the building's lines and style, while anticipating technology needs in the future. A 5-ft. grid of under floor access panels gives ready access to power, data and central computer ports.

On the 6th and 7th levels, as the function of the building reduces to a smaller footprint, where office and conference center rooms are located, large terraces are provided, offering sweeping views of the Northeast Louisiana landscape.