Accommodating Change in a University Library
University libraries have always been important hubs of campus life, filled with social and intellectual activities. As study habits have changed with the advent of digital access, library spaces once reserved for book storage and back-of-house services are now better used for student-focused spaces. Lehigh University’s E. W. Fairchild Martindale Library has undertaken multiple projects that take advantage of newly available and reconfigured spaces. The most significant change is the installation of The Grind at FML, a new café. The Grind is located in a prominent corner of the main level of the Library which formerly housed staff offices. The existing windows were enlarged to bring abundant light into the café and to provide views to a new outdoor dining terrace. Finishes, furniture, and custom millwork were designed to complement the mid-century modern aesthetic of the existing building.
A new Help Desk combines circulation, laptop lending, and help services into a central location in the library’s atrium space. Eight study rooms were added on an upper level. The study rooms can seat six to eight students working together in a study group and can be reserved online.
Project Team: MEP Engineer: H. F. Lenz, Civil Engineer: Langan, AV/IT: Acentech, Photography: Jeff Totaro, Ken Prutzman
