The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System has a new plan for its Central Library in downtown. It’s a famous example of brutalist architecture — the final project of Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer — but the inside hasn’t been updated in years.
A design plan for the library updates the interior, but it also has some preservationists worried about the facade.
People don’t just use libraries to check out books anymore, and the library doesn’t need space for people to stamp pages or attach envelopes to back covers. So it makes sense to design the interior for more flexibility, said library system Executive Director Gabriel Morley.
“We didn’t want to duplicate the mistakes that were made in the early-80s, where they built the building for one purpose,” he said. “What you’ll find is a much more modern library that has more open spaces, that has better site lines, that has more niches for people to do co-working.”
There’s a conference center with an outdoor patio planned for the fifth floor, and areas that could be leased to other tenants, including restaurants. Morley said he’d like to see an arts organization as a tenant. Maybe people will plan weddings there.
The renovation is part of a system-wide building program voters approved a decade ago. The public library system has built new libraries, expanded others, and is now renovating more than 20 branches.
At one point, there had been a proposal to tear the Central Library building down.
Mark McDonald, president and CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, said he’s glad the building has been saved, and he understands the challenges of designing this piece of architecture for other uses. But he is not happy about a plan to add windows to the building.
“The facade is a very intact expression of the architect’s intent. This was a master architect important to the world,” he said. “This is really tantamount to changing a design feature on the exterior of a Frank Lloyd Wright building.”
Morley said he’s not surprised by the response from preservationists. Al Collins, administrator for bond construction for Fulton County, said he believes it’s possible to make changes to the building while maintaining the architect’s intent.
“There are those that are purists in their thinking, and certainly they don’t want to make any changes, any modifications to the building,” he said. “There are those that believe you can in fact enhance the building by adding elements such as light, such as windows, without necessarily destroying the original concept or integrity of the structure.”
The library system is still taking public feedback on the plan, but Morley said they need to start soon, so that construction can be completed before the bond ends. Some preservations have said there hasn’t been enough opportunity for public comment.
