by Brianna Crandall — July 15, 2016 — The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and the American Library Association (ALA) recently announced the Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) firm as the Best of Competition winner of the 2016 Library Interior Design Awards for the project: Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch. The biennial Library Interior Design Awards recognize achievement in library interior design aesthetics, creativity, and function.
IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP, commented:
The design of the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library balances elegant but simple aesthetics, pragmatic programming, and green design solutions for one of the busiest libraries in the city. This project exemplifies how libraries have moved beyond their original purpose to become places of gathering, education, connection, entertainment, and more. We are so pleased to honor Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP with the best of Competition Award.
Stasia Czech Suleiman, IIDA, NCIDQ, vice president/senior project interior designer, HOK, added on behalf of the jury of design and library professionals:
An organic, multi-story structure immediately connects the patron to the space through vertical elements recalling the exterior of the Chinatown branch of the Chicago Public Library. Pops of color create and define areas for different user groups while also offering visual connection to adjacent collections. Everything about this design is a nod to the culture of the Chinatown neighborhood it serves.
The individual category winners of the 2016 ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards, announced in April, are:
- Public Libraries, Over 30,000 sq. ft.: MSR Design, Minneapolis, MN, for Madison Central Library, Madison, WI
- Public Libraries, 30,000 sq. ft. and smaller: HCMA Architecture + Design / Dub Architects Ltd., Vancouver, BC, Canada, for Mill Woods Library, Seniors’ Centre and Multicultural Facility, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago, IL, for Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch, Chicago, IL
- Academic Libraries, Over 30,000 sq. ft.: Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA, for Jen Library, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, GA
- Special Libraries, Over 30,000 sq. ft.: Shepley Bulfinch, Boston, MA, for The David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Duke University, Durham, NC
- Special Libraries, 30,000 sq. ft. and smaller: BenGuo Design, Shenzhen, China, for Southern Study in Shenzhen Library, Shenzhen, China
- Outstanding Historic Renovation Project: Schwartz/Silver Architects, Boston, MA, for Charles E. Shain Library Renovation at Connecticut College, New London, CT
- Single Space Design: Sikora (Interiors) Wnętrza, Gdańsk, Poland, for Station Culture – Train Station Adaptation, Rumia, Poland
The Best of Competition winner was announced during the ALA Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida, where all the competition winners were celebrated. Images of all the winning projects are featured on the IIDA Web site and will be published in Contract and American Libraries magazines.
