The Pere Marquette District Library (formerly the Garfield Memorial Library) selected C2AE in 2002 to design their new facility. The needs assessment calculated a need for 15,000 square feet of facility space through the year 2020. Through the design process, many sites were considered until the DDA donated a site located behind the current building on the adjacent corner. The only caveat was that we could only construct a 10,000 square foot maximum footprint. This necessitated that we either plan to build a 2nd floor, or a lower level. It was decided to build the lower level due to its inherent lower costs.
The lower level will house a 150-seat community room, future expansion for library services, as well as the building mechanical and electrical systems. The main level contains the entire collection with separate areas for children, teen, and adult reading. Special amenities include a large lobby that incorporates two large relocated stained glass windows that are backlit, a fireplace in the quiet adult reading room, and a reading stage and programming space in the children’s area.
The exterior architectural character was designed to reflect Clare’s downtown Main Street facades. The entry is through the tower element that is positioned at the southwest corner, and can be seen from the downtown area. Tall, windows allow daylight to penetrate deep into the building. The walls are capped with a projected cornice and brackets.
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