GOLD COAST — The Newberry Library has been at 60 W. Walton St. since 1893, and now the world-renowned research library will freshen up its first floor to become more inviting for visitors.
The library will begin renovating its first floor to better accommodate “public program attendees and readers as well as providing more accessible displays and an orientation center,” Newberry spokesman Alex Teller said. The institution has hired Ann Beha Architects to design the new space.
The Boston-based architecture firm has previously done designs for museums, universities and libraries, including the University of Chicago, Princeton University, the Smithsonian Institution and the Cambridge Public Library. The Newberry was drawn to the firm because of its previous work with projects that maintained historic elements but addressed the changing needs of cultural institutions, Teller said in an email.
The plans for the project have not yet been finalized, but the renovation is tentatively scheduled to begin in early 2018, but not all of the 34,754-square-foot first floor will be updated. The library is considering adding signs and “other wayfinding elements” and new lighting in the main entrance and vestibule in order to be more inviting for students, researchers and visitors.
“By creating an orientation center and using more wall space to tell our story, we're hoping to provide visitors with more avenues for learning about our different services: our collection, our public programs, exhibitions, continuing education seminars, fellowships, and programming for teachers and scholars,” Teller said.
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