Federal Way 320th Library
Neighborhood gem: The community's public library
- Client
- King County Library System
- Location
- Washington, United States
- Size
- 15,000 square feet
- Status
- Completed
The King County Library System’s mission of providing free, open and equal access to ideas and information is at the heart of the new Federal Way 320th replacement library. This new building seamlessly bridges the transition from commercial to residential, suburban to urban, creating a dynamic community hub.
Spanning 15,000 square feet, the Library is uniquely sized within the system, designed to meet the needs of a low-to-moderate-income community with a high demand for library services. It offers 50% more user space than its collection requires, ensuring ample room for a variety of community functions.
Testimonials
Next to a busy thoroughfare, the library’s transparent street-front displays diverse activities, while its entry opens to a big “backyard” with trees and landscaping where kids can arrive safely by bicycle or pile out of and into parked cars.
The building is clad in a robust screen of perforated weathering steel, its organic quality and rusty colors creating a billboard along the street in a language that blends with the natural surroundings of Federal Way’s residential neighborhoods.
The building is durable, easy to maintain and accommodates a broad range of community functions and gives children and teens a home-away-from-home. The open floor plan and flexible community meeting room offer this constituency a much-needed and heavily used gathering place. Repurposed lumber from the original building wraps the meeting rooms with warm wood paneling and maintains a link to the community’s past.
