Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library
Alexandria, Virginia
Construction Cost: $12.3M
Completion Date: 2000
PGAL collaborated with Architect Michael Graves on the design of the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library. This state-of-the-art community library features wide-open interior spaces, a vast children's wing, and a host of amenities designed to draw thousands of visitors. The architectural team worked closely with the Alexandria Library Board to develop a design that addressed the spatial and functional requirements and determined the $12.3-million structure's architectural character within the context of the site. It is organized around an exterior courtyard reminiscent of a village square.
The building comprises two public faces, one that forms the entrance off Pickett Street, and one parallel to Duke Street. These two facades establish the building's public identity while the massing creates the semi-public courtyard. In an effort to extend the Library's presence beyond the boundaries of the site, the key components of the Library's program are given distinct volumetric identities on the exterior of the building. Inside, the different spaces, though all open to one another, can each easily be identified by the distinct ceiling configurations. The structure creates a silhouette symbolizing the first step towards establishing a new civic center for the west side of the city.