The construction of two-story spaces will connect the first and second floors, creating atmosphere and a sense of place distinctive from the uniform sea of columns that currently exists.
These openings will redefine the first and second floors as double floor neighborhoods in contrast to the current single floor layout. New open stairs linking the first and second floors will provide the possibility of moving in and out and looking up and down the floor openings. This will enhance the physical and visual relationships between floors and shorten travel distances between services.
The Entrance Gallery will be defined with new, sky-lit Lanterns that provide views and connections to activities on the second floor and a strong central orientation point for library services. New second-story interior windows at the south end of the second floor will open up dramatic, never-before-seen views across the Library Quad to the stadium.
These new south-facing windows will also offer an exciting overlook to the bustling Concourse, Courtyard and main south entrance below.
The axial relationship set up by the lobby allows for the creation of a new north entrance to Hesburgh Library to better serve students in the expanding North Campus.
The Concourse will be widened to create seating alcoves and more immediately connect it to the library with a new Scholars Lounge and expanded Exhibit Spaces providing more opportunities for interaction and scholarly connections along its length.
In order to meet the changing needs of research and scholarship, this transformation will provide high quality study and work environments for all our users – faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff. The improved environments will cater to a variety of uses: collaboration; interdisciplinary engagement; creativity and innovation; focused work; and reflection.
Places for teaching and learning will be transparent, prominently located, flexible, reconfigurable and equipped with the most current technology. In addition, destination spaces, such as the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship and Rare Books & Special Collections, will serve the specialized needs of today’s scholars.
