Southwest Neighborhood Library
| Southwest Neighborhood Library | |
|---|---|
 The new library in 2021. | |
 | |
| 38°52′43″N 77°00′58″W / 38.878692°N 77.015980°W | |
| Location | 900 Wesley Place SW, Washington, DC 20024, United States |
| Type | Public library |
| Branch of | District of Columbia Public Library |
| Other information | |
| Website | https://www.dclibrary.org/southwest |
The Southwest Neighborhood Library is a branch of the District of Columbia Public Library in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is located at 900 Wesley Place SW.[1]
History
[edit]
The library first opened in 1940 as part of the then-new Thomas Jefferson Memorial Junior High School, a Georgian Revival-style building designed by architect Nathan C. Wyeth, at 701 7th St. SW.[2] A new library building opened in 1965[3] and closed in June 2019, with a new $18 million building to be constructed in its place.[4][5][6] During construction, interim library service was provided at 425 M Street SW.[4]
The new 20,000-square-foot building, which opened in May 2021, was designed by Perkins and Will and built by Turner Construction.[6] Built primarily out of mass timber and glass, it was produced in pieces in Vancouver and shipped to Washington, where it was assembled.[6]
Though it is one floor shorter than the old building, the new library was designed with a focus on community space.[5][6] It includes a large meeting room, three conference rooms, and four study rooms, as well as an outdoor porch. New technology incorporated in the rebuilt library includes an innovation lab with 3-D printers, as well as solar panels that provide for half of the building's energy needs.[5][6] The D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation also collaborated with the library to improve the playground adjacent to the building.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Southwest Library". District of Columbia Public Library. 2010-09-14. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
- ^ Giddens, Lucia (September 8, 1940). "80,000 D.C. Pupils Ready For School". The Washington Post. pp. L1.
- ^ "Southwest Library History". District of Columbia Public Library. 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
- ^ a b "Southwest Library Construction Updates". District of Columbia Public Library. 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
- ^ a b c Gathright, Jenny (2019-05-17). "The Southwest Library Is Closing For More Than A Year To Undergo A Modernization". DCist. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved 2021-07-30.
- ^ a b c d e f Williams, Elliot C.; Turner, Tyrone (2021-05-13). "Take A Peek Inside The Newly Renovated Southwest Library". DCist. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-30.