Schow Science Library
Williamstown, Mass.
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership

A well-lit and cozy atrium library becomes the focal point of a diverse group of buildings

© Timothy Hursley

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above. To see the people and products behind this project click on 'people & products.'

The library for Williams College is intended to unite, physically as well as culturally, the previous separate libraries of nine departments in this science complex, to reflect an integration of all the sciences as one. The complex is made up of three buildings dating from the late 19th century and an additional one from the mid-1960s. A new science wing has been added to unite the complex, but the spiritual hearth of the new and expanded complex is the library that occupies the ground level of the new wing and the residual space below and between the existing buildings. Sky-lit from above by trapezoid-shaped skylights that capture north light, the library is viewed from all the departments that share its resources.

Working with a library consultant and academic staff, the architect used both the residual and the new space, maximizing its function and taking advantage of the special quality that resulted. The design achieves this by preserving and restoring the architectural integrity of existing buildings and dignifying them with new and complementary forms into an integrated unit. Environmentally, the interior of the library is a totally contained zone, requiring minimum heating and cooling while still enjoying a light-filled environment.

Formal name of Project:
Schow Science Library

Location:
Williamstown, Mass.

Gross square footage:
30,000 sq ft

Total construction cost:
$9.56 million

Owner:
Williams College

Architect:
Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
320 SW Oak Street
Portland, OR 97204
503/224-3860; fax 503/224-2482