The Francis Gregory Library, Washington, United States. Architect: Adjaye Associates, 2012. Interior view showing chequered wall

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Adjaye Associates’ new neighbourhood libraries for the District of Columbia, the William O. Lockridge/ Bellevue Library and Francis Gregory Library, have opened to the public. The brief called for the new buildings to be “flexible, accessible, welcoming and inviting” and the libraries challenge the traditional closed typology, introducing a social element with a strong urban and cultural programme. “Our mission, with the Francis Gregory Library, has been to offer a new way to experience books, reading and story-telling. Rather than a traditional closed building, this library is porous and open, with the canopy providing a welcoming entrance that invites people inside. Conceived as an extension to the park, it is not only a place to gather, but also a place of contemplation and learning.”- David Adjaye

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Size: 4736px × 3540px
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Photo credit: © Edmund Sumner-VIEW / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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