Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Architect: Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company
This state of the art library is 136,000 SF located in the center of Rhodes College Campus. It is surrounded by 100 acres of landscaping and buildings. Paul Barret, Jr. Library is a technology hub containing a theater, complete media production facilities, and a teaching and learning center. The 3 and 4 story library is designed to incorporate many quiet study spaces, areas for computer access, media production, and open areas where students and professors may work together. The entire library is a completely wireless environment.
Concrete and steel were used to allow for heavy loads at the stack areas. Reinforced concrete was included to aid in meeting the seismic requirements. The tower often shown in pictures of the library was also designed to withstand seismic forces.
This Gothic style building blends in with the surrounding campus. The placement of the building footprint required site work that would smoothly and attractively connect the existing buildings to the new library.