Morgan State University New LibraryBaltimore, MD
Morgan State's new library and student center form The Commons, the campus's new center and a point of mediation between the older academic section and a newer residential precinct. As one of the two new signature buildings on campus, the library had to balance a sense of importance and renewed pride with an equal sense of transparency and welcome – "impressive, not oppressive," in the client's words. Flexibility was also key. After extensive study and testing, a system of 12' by 27' modules was arrived at as a basis for the entire interior layout. Divisible by three, these modules match the three-foot shelving modules and allow stack areas to be easily converted into classrooms, seminar rooms, open group study, etc., as well as back to stack space as collection needs require.
To the east, the library serves to strengthen and animate the pedestrian mall with a glass curtain wall. A curvilinear wing wraps around the northern and western edges and is partially topped with a sedum green roof, which can be viewed from key interior spaces. Along a broad interior loggia set behind the glass façade, student reading areas are placed against the glass and connect to the rest of the building via bridges that penetrate a wood wall punctuated with windows and display cases in an orthogonal but playful geometric pattern. The glass display cases, visible inside and out, will accommodate the institution's collection of African and African-American art and add further visual interest to the façade.
In association with Design Collective, Incorporated and FON Architects.
