Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library – Deer Park

Project Narrative

This project transformed a former TJ Maxx store in a shopping center into a Next Generation Library for the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library system. What was once ghost retail space is now an accessible, vibrant, and inviting hub for learning and exploring. Our community engagement outreach surfaced a vision for a design that would reflect the community’s diverse culture and ages; deliver engaging and inclusive youth services; and support a variety of uses by delineating zones for different kinds of activities. By carving out zones for different age groups and activities—quiet spaces, flexible study pods, the living room, marketplace, community room, and ‘messy’ meeting room--and using a combination of mobile furniture and fixed boundaries, we created a fully accessible space that can support a wide variety of activities at once – and can be reconfigured when needed. New window openings in the façade and the roof bring in abundant daylight, while curved architectural walls inside break up the space, allow views, and pique curiosity.

                                           

Project Details

Submission Category

Interior Architecture- Large Scale (>5,000 sf)

Date of Completion

July, 2021