Belmont Public Library

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Belmont Public Library

Location: Belmont, CA
Architects: Field Paoli Architects
Photography: Mark Darley

The new Belmont Library was designed to wrap around heritage oak trees in a three-acre neighborhood park. Expansive window walls in the adult and children's reading rooms face the park, providing ample north light and creating a magical space for reading and study. Interior lighting creates a "beacon of knowledge" to draw people into the facility. Exterior lighting brings the interior of the building out through the glass, into the illuminated oak grove. Cutoff luminaires were used to mitigate light pollution and trespass.

This 20,000 square foot library incorporates all of the amenities of the modern library. The project includes a community room, adult wing, children's wing, story time area, teen center, several quiet study rooms, an extensive media collection, self check-out stations, and a Silicon Valley-sponsored computer center with capacity to serve the projected city needs for the next two decades.

The highly efficient lighting system works on the task/ambient approach where light is located where it is needed most while still highlighting the volume of the architecture. Tall stacks were illuminated with custom arm-mounted stacklights. Overall, the lighting integrates visual interest and function within a cohesive design to reinforce the architecture of the library.