Wake County Public Libraries wanted this renovation of their Cameron Village branch to become a “window to the community”, adding light, energy and transparency to the existing building. The project was made challenging by the pressing need for more space and the fact that the library is located in the oldest shopping center of its kind in the Southeast.
The concept of a library as a window to the community expresses the image of the library as open to the public. Carried throughout an interior filled with natural light, the notion of transparency speaks of openness among users and staff.
RATIO combined two spaces into one building and designed an addition to the second floor, providing more floor space and separation of quiet and public study zones. The design maintains continuity with the shopping center’s awnings, providing shade and scale reminiscent of a village street.
