Kwong Von Glinow

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As an urban art school dispersed across multiple buildings, the library serves as the primary shared space that brings together all the diverse disciplines within the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Project

School of the Art Institute of Chicago Flaxman Library Renovation

What

Renovation of Main and Special Collection Libraries

Where

Chicago, Illinois

Size

21,400 square feet

Client

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Status

Completed Fall 2023

Team

Kwong Von Glinow: Lap Chi Kwong, Alison Von Glinow, Nathan Geller, Tianjiao Wang, Jonah LaDuca, Oana Giuglea, Steven Huang, Jiachen Wang; Goodfriend Magruder Structure, ACGI, Threshold Acoustics, MAP Strategies, Mortenson

Awards

AIA Chicago, 2024 Honor Award for Interior Architecture Medium

Press

Architectural Record , "An Adroit Revamp by Kwong Von Glinow Unifies a Chicago Art School's Library," more...

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Flaxman Library renovation project radically proposes an “open book” approach to the spatial experience of the library by connecting two previously siloed floors to create one visually and physically connected space where the collections and the work of the librarians preserving those collections are on view.

As an art school located in the heart of Chicago, the various anchor programs of the school are necessarily located on different levels in tall buildings throughout the school’s urban campus. Prior to the renovation, each floor of the two-story library operated independently from each other: the fifth floor housed Special Collections and librarian areas behind an opaque winding corridor with no natural light, while the sixth floor housed the Main Collection with no access to the floor below besides elevators and egress stairs.

The renovation project works with the constraints of the given floorplates in the historic 1902 Sharp Building by Holabird & Roche Architects by exposing the ingenuity of the original Chicago steel-frame structure. Flattened clay tile arch is removed between structural beams to create a narrow yet expansive atrium between the 5th and 6th floors that is 5’-0” wide and 100’-0” long, punctuated by the original cross beams of the building. The lighting design likewise relates to the original structure: two lines of linear fixtures highlight the location of the steel frame within the ceiling sandwich, while the obliquely placed fixtures above the atrium reference the clay tile between the steel frame that was removed.

Below the atrium that forms the vertical connection between the two levels is the newly formed Corridor +: a space for circulation and access as well as semi-private student reading nooks. The gently curving Corridor + runs the length of the 150 foot-long building, pushing all of the secured library spaces to the south of the floorplate. Underneath the curving transom are sawtooth walls to accommodate flexible study spaces. Glazed storefronts on one side allow students to see into the library storage and working areas. At the same time, natural light makes its way from the south facade to the deepest space of the Corridor +. This transparency of the library program sheds light on the important work of the librarians and the library itself.

The new Corridor + adds 1,000 square feet for student study areas, while re-organizing the stacks more efficiently to simultaneously gain additional bookshelves. The design of the project brings together the softness of the sweeping curve of the Corridor + transom and the triangle sawtooths that form the reading nooks.

The project improved the two-level library by creating more community space, increasing natural light, establishing a larger and more efficient storage, creating a flexible Reading Room for classes and individual researchers, increasing capacity, and not least creating a visual and physical connection between the floors of the library, making the library easier to navigate and the collections more accessible.

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Our renovation unites the library, where light, transparency, and clarity of space reveal both the collections and the work that supports them.

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We found that the building is organized into narrow five-foot bays, where flat clay-tile arches span between steel beams.

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With the library occupying the fifth and sixth floors of the 1902 Sharp Building by Holabird and Roche, we began by studying the existing steel frame to identify where the two levels could be connected.

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Working with the structural engineer, we removed a five-foot-wide, 100-foot-long strip of floor to create a linear opening between the two levels.

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This narrow void becomes a “crack”: small enough to spark curiosity, yet large enough to visually connect Level 5 and Level 6.

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Below, the “Corridor +” is introduced as a sweeping, curving path through the plan: a space for circulation, but also for meeting, reading, informal study, display, and observing the activity of the library.

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The sawtooth wall lined with storefront glazing brings light deep into the building while revealing adjacent programs—from librarian workspaces to special collections and stacks.

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These sawtooth niches double as reading nooks and entry thresholds to the various programs on Level 5.

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A perforated, polka-dot transom curves along the floor plate, concealing mechanical systems above and visually wrapping the floor into a continuous whole.

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The Corridor + adds over 1,000 square feet of student study space while the stacks are reorganized to increase shelving capacity.

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Custom millwork throughout the librarian workspaces is tailored to the processing and circulation of books, while display cases set behind the sawtooth glazed walls present artists’ books and objects from Special Collections.

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Within the five-foot atrium, a new stair connects Levels 5 and 6, with its steel construction expressed through exposed welds and a natural rubbed finish.

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The linear opening connects the two floors through glimpses rather than grand views, inviting curiosity and encouraging exploration of the library's collections.

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