Glendale Public Library - Parking Lot Branch Prototype, Los Angeles, California
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 | Glendale Public Library - Parking Lot Branch Prototype |
| Designer | West Edge Architects, Peter M. Mitsakos & Associates, Marina del Rey, California, USA |
| Location | Glendale, California, USA |
| Date | 2007 |
| Building Type | Library |
| Climate | Moderate - mild winters, warm-hot summers |
| Context | Adjacent to a community college and across from a City park |
| Architectural Style | Contemporary |
| Street Address | |
| Notes | West Edge Architects developed two prototype branches for the City to illustrate the shift in library functions and current trends; please also see Glendale Public Library System - Branch Prototype, Public Park. |
Contents |
[edit] Images
 Library Main Entrance |
 Library Back Entrance |
Outdoor Terrace |
 Library Interior - Central Forum |
[edit] Discussion
| Building Details | |
| Client | City of Glendale, California |
| Cost | $16 million (estimated) |
| Area | 22,000 Square Feet, excluding terraces |
| Stories | one |
The specific site chosen for the Parking Lot (Prototype) is is a heavily utilized public surface lot. Because approximately one half of the existing lot would be needed for the new library and entrance drive, the building is constructed a full story above the surface lot so that the existing parking spaces remain intact.
The library’s interior spaces are organized around a central volume with welcome displays, circulation and other patron services, exhibitions and interactive activities, as well as seating and staff areas. All library resources are visible from this space. A teen center, childrens library, meeting and training spaces, and a café are housed in separate volumes that intersect the center space. Outdoor courts that extend the library’s interior to the exterior are connected by terraces, permitting activities to be visible to the public on the building’s street side.
Sustainability was key with such features as: clerestory and eye-level windows provide indirect, natural light; photovoltaic roof panels shield the building and create a layer of temperate air ; high performance glass and exterior lattice shades interior and exterior, surrounding the building with a layer of cool air; mechanically conditioned air is distributed via a raised floor plenum; and operable windows permit natural ventilation.
