TURNERS FALLS — The new library being planned in Turners Falls will pay homage to the history and culture of the village, according to architect Angela Ward Hyatt.
On Thursday, architectural design firm Schwartz/Silver presented three proposed floor plans and an early draft exterior design for a building at 38 Avenue A that will replace the Carnegie Public Library. Ward Hyatt, who is president of Schwartz/Silver, said that designs have not been finalized, but she believes the firm has come up with an option that meets Montague’s needs and fits with the look and style of downtown Turners Falls.
“This is not a final design at all. It’s the beginning,” Ward Hyatt said. “It’s the seed of an idea about how we can make a building that is contextual and respectful of this town.”
Ward Hyatt presented the draft floor plans to residents at the Great Falls Discovery Center, and said each one built upon and improved the last. Option A included a box-shaped building, Option B was slightly more rectangular with a few wall pop-outs and Option C included reading nooks with benches.
All options call for two-story buildings that include open stacks, a children’s section and youth program room, a teen room, a community room, a local history room and staff workspaces. Each floor plan is approximately 19,000 square feet, with the first floor being larger than the second. Ward Hyatt said this would allow leftover space on the roof of the first floor to be used for an open-air terrace.
“It’s not really leftover space; it’s actually a really wonderful space to think about,” Ward Hyatt said.
She said Option C, the preferred option, would include an entrance at the intersection of Avenue A and Second Street, as well as an entrance from the parking lot. Both entrances would allow for easy access to the circulation desk and enable patrons to view the stacks as they walk through the door. The first floor would also include restrooms and reading nooks along the sides of the building.
“We were kind of inspired by the bays in a lot of the first-story floors and a lot of your street architecture here in Montague,” Ward Hyatt noted.
Ward Hyatt said the building could be made smaller if a basement is constructed and mechanical and utility rooms are relocated there. A 5,000-square-foot basement could shave 500 to 1,000 square feet off the above floors and provide additional storage space; however, “every square foot will come with a price tag.” She said basements can be more expensive to construct.
Ward Hyatt also presented early designs for the exterior of the building. These included granite slabs around the first floor, brickwork, a smaller granite band on the second floor and an artistic brick parapet at the top.
“We are incredibly inspired by your community,” Ward Hyatt said. “We’re kind of doing a deep dive into what we’re seeing around us and want to share some of our initial thoughts because we’re just scratching the surface here.”
She said the Schwartz/Silver team spent a lot of time exploring the different buildings in Turners Falls and noted that many are brick with granite around the base and decorative brick cornices at the top.
Most of the downtown buildings are over the 36-foot height limit dictated by local zoning laws, Ward Hyatt said. The new library can meet that height limit to the roof and still match the style of the village by adding 4 feet of decorative brickwork at the top.
She noted the architects were particularly inspired by 113 Avenue A.
“It’s really, really wonderful, and I think we can learn a lot from this and design a building that kind of plays on some of these details,” Ward Hyatt. “The artistry in the brickwork is insane.”
Members of the public said they liked Option C best, and appreciated the attention to detail and that the designs fit with the historic character of the town.
“I really appreciate all the attention to the outside and fitting in with the town,” Montague resident Jeri Moran said.
Residents commented that they would like to see consideration for additional parking and better access to the terrace from the upstairs art gallery so patrons wouldn’t have to go through the community room. They also proposed that the architects include the same historic character and details that exist at the current Carnegie Public Library on the inside of the new building.
“I’m just so excited it’s going to be this beautiful,” Montague Public Libraries Director Caitlin Kelley said.
As the project moves forward, further tweaks may be made to the floor plan and exterior design, and more detailed designs for the interior will be created. More information on the cost will be estimated over the winter, and the state Board of Library Commissioners will have design submissions for review by December.
The full presentation was recorded by Montague Community Television.
