West Loop branch of Chicago Public Library earns design award, community appreciation

To say that the newest branch of the Chicago Public Library is a sight to behold would be an understatement along the lines of saying it’s been warmly embraced by the West Loop community it serves.

“This is a community that didn’t have a library before,” Chicago Public Library Deputy Commissioner of Library Operations and Patron Experience Maggie Clemons told West Loop News. “Everything has been wonderfully received. Lines are out the door for programs and the small meeting rooms are always booked with people holding meetings and interviews. We have all sorts of programs, community cinema, dance programs and a media center.”

The 26,500-square-foot structure at 122 North Aberdeen opened last January in the space where Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios once stood. The West Loop’s first-ever public library branch was recently honored with the Frank Lloyd Wright Award from the Illinois chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for its “achievement in enhancing the natural and built environment of a community.”

Designed by the Chicago office of global architecture firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the project restored a number of the buildings’ original features like brick walls and bow-truss ceiling beams, which are now gathered behind a weathered steel exterior facade and entranceway. The library's interior blends a vintage industrial aesthetic with contemporary community amenities that include child and adult reading spaces, study rooms, an early childhood play area, a recording studio and a digital lab with coding and design software.

“It’s an award that SOM applied for and we’re really proud of them,” Clemons said. “We’ve worked with them on two other libraries, the Chinatown Branch and our Little Italy Branch, and Chinatown has won a similar award. We’re thrilled that they won and we love working with them.”

Clemons says that just as satisfying if not more so than the awards is the deep appreciation the West Loop community has shown for the new branch.

“We're proud of the relationships we’re building all through the city and just elated that we’ve been able to so quickly become an anchor for the community,” Clemons said.

The West Loop property was donated to the city by West Loop-based developer Sterling Bay, with added funding for the project coming from a combination of private donations and the city’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund.