Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh launched a large-scale makeover for its main and branch libraries in 2001, bringing updated services and reinventing them to better serve customers in the “age of information”. Brookline was among the first of the branches to be renovated.

Unlike many libraries that are free-standing, CLP Brookline is nestled into the heart of a bustling neighborhood business district. The existing structure was an ordinary 1950’s masonry box, with few windows and little connection to its context. The renovation strengthens connections to the street with a “storefront library” approach, opening views into and out of the Popular Library and Reading Room. To bring daylight deep into the building’s interior, floor and roof plates were peeled back from one side of the building with a continuous skylight added. Stage sets of seating and book displays in the front windows provide opportunities for customers to see and be seen along the street, further strengthening the Library’s presence in the community.

Ending the “where is the library” question, a new urban-scaled sign transforms the formerly nondescript building into a landmark on the boulevard and becoming a visual focus.

CLP Brookline is LEED Certified.