PROJECT: Corvallis-Benton County Public Library improvements

LOCATION: 645 N.W. Monroe Ave., Corvallis

COST: undisclosed

SIZE: 2,000 square feet (1,000-square-foot renovation, 1,000-square-foot addition)

START DATE: September 2019 (design); April 2021 (construction)

COMPLETION DATE: June 2022

OWNER: city of Corvallis

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Wildish Building Co.

ARCHITECT: Woofter Bolch Architecture

OTHER ASSOCIATES/CONSULTANTS: Glumac (MEP), KPFF (structural), Nossa Norman (interior design)

PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE: The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, designed by the late Pietro Belluschi and constructed in 1932, has since been expanded and renovated several times to improve its service to the public. In the most recent project, an underutilized patio space on the second floor was transformed and enclosed to create multiple much-needed spaces: a multipurpose classroom, a reading room, and four study rooms – all with views east toward downtown Corvallis and the county courthouse.

Because the patio’s narrow layout was not ideal for the functions of the new interior areas, parts of the existing exterior brick wall were opened to allow the interior areas adjacent to the patio to be remodeled. This allowed the new spaces to be appropriate sizes based on their functions and truly connect to the existing interior.

The building’s height also presented a challenge when accommodating the new spaces because the new roof needed to be shorter than the existing brick parapets to integrate with present proportions. A low-slope metal roof was designed to blend with the historic architecture, and the building systems serving the new spaces were meticulously routed through the very low, tapered attic above.

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