Meet the Anacostia Library

The Anacostia Library at Good Hope and 18th opened up almost two months ago now and it has become an awesome gathering spot.



Most can agree that, regardless of design preference, the building is a great addition to the neighborhood (yes, even though it is technically in Fairlawn, it's just across the street).


the two iconic features of the building are its beacon tower and its overhanging roof

I will say that the only element that leaves me wondering is the vast expanse of concrete in the front of the building. I know that they expect to use it to host tents and such at events like Anacostia Day, but for the other 364 days of the year it is kind of a windswept wasteland.


some landscaping and tables could have extended the life of the library outdoors


bikers and skaters have already discovered it

Indoors, the library is awesome. People everywhere, different zones for different age groups and uses, and tons of natural light. The kids sections is in the front of the building. The brightly colored square to the left is a teaser for a new translucent mural to go on the glass partition.


so awesome seeing kids use the library ... very inspiring

All of the sections of the library are situated off of the main hallway/thoroughfare. The checkout is staffed, but also has a few self-checkout stations.



Looking for a cookbook? There's a shelf featuring tons of great cookbooks, many of which highlight organic and healthy eating ... something that we need more of (and more access to) east of the Anacostia River.


any cooking artists out there looking for a muse?

The back half of the building has the stacks, the computer area, a great sitting room, and a few private conference rooms. Again, natural light everywhere and enough bright green to keep you energized no matter how long your study period.


the stacks are made of recycled shredded paper in some sort of plastic


the reading room has some great lounge chairs


the conference rooms are really well-appointed and professional. Anyone can book them for meetings or study groups


a view of the computer area (these are the PCs, the Macs are in the reading/lounge area)

Outside along the 18th Street side is a massive rain garden that is still under construction. Of course, these 100 degree temps aren't ideal for new planting, but it's encouraging to see efforts made to make this an environment-enriching site.


to the left you can see the shade of a large oak that was saved during construction of the new library

In all, pretty exciting to see this new addition to the general neighborhood. It's awesome seeing people use it every day and that there's a place for neighborhood folks to be and gather that's new, nice, and constructive.

Anacostia Neighborhood Library Progress

The new library at 1800 Good Hope Road is nearing completion! I think it's going to look fine, though I question the heavy use of concrete block (starting to get sick of it over here...) and stainless steel panels. The landscaping around this building will, if done well, make all the difference.


the view up Good Hope Road looking northeast


the view looking west, down Good Hope. Notice the "beacon" tower that will be lit up


U.S. Embassy in Iraq? Nope, just the side view of the library. Again, landscaping will be Key


I like this bright green more than I thought I would. It lends a playful crown to the heavy parts of the building


this large oak tree was saved in the west yard, which will also include a new rain garden

Completion is still estimated for this spring. Can't wait to take full advantage of this neighborhood amenity (said like a true son of a librarian)!

Anacostia Neighborhood Library a'Rising

construction workers at the library's "beacon"

Work on the new Anacostia Neighborhood Library is well underway, with what looks like most of the steel structure already in place. One of my worries was that this was going to seem like a small building for the site and that it might not be big enough for the geographical area it has to serve. Seeing it in person helped change that - its 20,000 SF in two stories is definitely not small.


the view from Good Hope Road - kind of obscured by the fence


from the alley between Good Hope and U Place SE


from U Place SE, looking southwest


another shot, more straight-on, from Good Hope

Taking into consideration the promised-but-stalled buildings projects over here, it's pretty great seeing something really rising. Projected opening is Fall 2010.

Call to Ward 7 & 8 Artists

Deadline: Friday, August 28, 2009 at 5:30pm
Artist Honorarium: $2,500

the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) in collaboration with DC Public Library is seeking East-of-the-River artists, including writers, to submit proposals for four prominent areas inside the new Benning and Anacostia Libraries which are expected to open in the spring of 2010. The proposed artwork sites provide artists and writers the opportunity to display their work in a large-scale format in a public building.

Anacostia Library (18th and Good Hope Road, SE)



1. Transparent Wall: At the entry of the library is a space for a transparent wall that may be rendered in glass or other materials. This art piece welcomes all library visitors and forms the boundary between the main library entrance and the children’s space. The dimensions of the opening are 10’6” x 6’10” and it sits on top of a 1’2” built-in bench. While this wall faces the children’s area on its reverse side, the piece should relate to everyone who enters the library, not just children. In addition, the artwork should supplement the strong architectural language of the building.



2. Adult Area Mural: This wall, 26’0” (wide) by 10’0” (height), runs parallel to the main circulation path of the building and faces the adult book stack and reading areas. The art should be strong and powerful and supplement the strong architectural language of the building. The artwork at this location could be a singular image or a group of images that forms a singular unified composition or concept.

Click Here to download the full Call to Artists

Questions? contact Rachel Dickerson at rachel.dickerson@dc.gov

Neighborhood Library - Vote on Interiors

On Monday through Thursday of this week the library will be hosting four "finishing touches" events where residents can see the new designs as well as vote on the new furniture.

Where:

Anacostia Interim Library, 1800 Good Hope Road SE

When:

Monday and Wednesday, June 1st and 3rd 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Tuesday and Thursday, June 2nd and 4th Noon – 1:00 PM

Glad to see that construction has started and that we are finally on our way to a new library!

ground broken for the new library

where the front steps will be, the before picture

ground was broken last week on the new Anacostia Neighborhood Library on Good Hope Road, and the word from the top is that it should open in Spring of 2010. Here's to hoping that some real progress gets underway soon!

Reminder: this was the original "final" design:


clean lines, bold tower

and here is the more busy / less appealing design they surprised us with more recently:


distracting signage, minimized tower, less bold

if, like me, you'd like to see the beacon "tower of light" regain its prominence, the design get back its clean lines, and a flag to be raised saying that our community really cares about this new neighborhood asset, please send an email to the team by Clicking Here. (customize as you wish, and don't forget to fill in your name at the bottom)

We only have one chance to get this right.

photo by DG-rad

the A is not for Anacostia

clearly the first rendering looks way better because I am sure it was more expensive to draw. and while I bet there has been some value engineering, I think the library should look about the same as the designs we have grown to love / accept. I just wish it had a little more warmth to it.

what was:


is now:


it may look like a science labratory of the future, but it will certainly be an improvement over what was there before. I just really hope it doesn't end up looking cheap.

a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for December 15th, with completion in the Spring of 2010.

new rendering courtesy of the Anacostia Library site

Updated Library Design

Last night's meeting was interesting -- mostly because the Freelon Group (architects) had updated renderings, with a few new design elements included. Most notably is a giant "A" in the vertical portion of the facade, as well as a new green color scheme. Not sure I dig the bright green, as it seems a little glaring for a reading environment, but I like how striking it appears. Hopefully it won't get too value engineered.

Looking up Good Hope Road:


Looking Down Good Hope Road:


What it looks like now:

Are they planning to underground the utility lines? I certainly hope so, and the renderings assume as much.

The architects have already won a 2008 Merit Award from the American Institute of Architects for the design, in the "unbuilt" category. I'm looking forward to seeing this thing come out of the ground. But, as with any uber-modern design (is it really, or does it look like it was built in the 1960s.. can't tell), I can only hope that it won't be irrelevant in five or ten years. To really last, buildings must be designed to be loved for a long time.

photos by DG-rad

Final Library Design Meeting Tonight!

If you are interested in what the new library will look like and how it will contribute to the urban structure of our neighborhood, this is the meeting to attend!

When:

Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 6:00 P.M.

Where:

Anacostia Interim Library, 1800 Good Hope Road, S.E. at 18th Street, S.E.

What:

The DC Public Library is hosting its last Community Meetings regarding the design of the Anacostia Library. Not sure if they will be asking for more input, or simply giving an update, but it should be well worth it.

Hope to see you there!

goodbye, Library!

the old Anacostia Neighborhood Library is [almost] no longer.

view from Good Hope Road:


view from 18th Street:

Anacostia Library Demolition

yep, that was a library, not a factory

This afternoon residents, students, librarians, and officials met at the Anacostia Community Library to officially begin demolition of the old (and already vacated) structure.

The neighborhood library's Cheif Librarian Ginnie Cooper even had the chance to to do some of the demolition. As someone who had to work in the dated structure, I'm sure her position in the wrecker's driver's seat allowed her the chance to release pent up angst about the old building.





Councilwoman Yvette Alexander, flanked by a 5th grade class at Ketcham Elementary, spoke about how great this project is for Ward 7 and how there will be more libraries in her ward than any other ward in the city (5):


Destruction!


...and a reminder of what the new library will, conceptually at least, look like:


photos by DG-rad

Updated Library Plans

My apologies for not being on top of the Library issue. I guess the fact that this isn't my full time job is catching up to me...

Preview Image (scroll down for more)


Last fall there were two meetings regarding the design of the new Anacostia library. I attended the meeting on October 4, but somehow missed the December 13 follow-up. It will be interesting to watch this process unfold, and I expect that the designers will have even more significant renderings and plans at the next scheduled meeting on April 10, 2008.

October 4, 2007 Meeting Summary
December 13, 2007 Meeting Summary

Anacostia Neighborhood Library Project Page







(I'm trying to get some higher-quality renderings and plans, but these should do for now)

images courtesy of DCPL

Library Design Meeting Tonight!

If you are interested in what the new library will look like and how it will contribute to the urban structure of our neighborhood, this is the meeting to attend!

When:

Thursday October 4, 2007 at 6:00 P.M.

Where:

Anacostia Interim Library, 1800 Good Hope Road, S.E. at 18th Street, S.E.

What:

The DC Public Library is hosting a second round of Community Meetings to work with the community in designing and constructing the Anacostia Library. The Freelon Group is presenting their preliminary concepts to the community.

Hope to see you there!

This isn't breaking news, but a number of the most forgotten/abandoned libraries in the District are (once again) on their way to seeing some positive progress. Included on this list is our very own Anacostia Library, which now is home to a mobile library actually much nicer than the original.

This isn't the first time the neighborhood has been promised a new library. In 2005 the District hired designers and held public meetings, but nothing happened because of a contract flaw.

Now, Fenty has hired two new design firms to start the process over: The Freelon Group and Davis, Brody, Bond LLP. Not only is this jumpstart to the new library process great news, but these architects should produce much more stunning (but hopefully still practical) buildings than what we were shown in 2005.

Recent work: Davis Brody Bond
rendering courtesy of Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center

Recent work: Freelon Group
rendering courtesy of AIA Charlotte, Afro-American Cultural Center

header graphic by DG-rad