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Framingham, MA After nearly a year and a half of construction, the new McAuliffe branch library located at 747 Water St., across the street from Heritage at Framingham and the Hemenway School, opened its doors on February 16.
Designed by Finegold Alexander Architects and constructed by Lupachino/Salvatore the 17,000 s/f building has a contemporary design with 5,200 s/f of windows to maximize natural light inside the building. The structure has two distinct massing components: the first is clad in silver metal panel and defines the face and entry of the building and forms a andscaped zone on this corner site. Just behind this, a second mass - partially clad in white vertical panels - rises up from behind revealing a glassy, illuminated wing form that culminates in a triangular metal canopy that points to the sky. From inside the building, trellis-like openings in the canopy draw views to the sky, and rake light across the garden below.
“The design inspiration was taken from the way that Christa McAuliffe lived her life,” said Tony Hsiao, director of design and principal a Finegold Alexander.
The new McAuliffe is LEED certified and represents best-in-class building strategies and practices for sustainability. The building’s construction required 1,300 tons of concrete and 77 tons of steel. The branch’s ‘one mile of shelving’ will contain nearly 70,000 books and other materials.
Key features of the $8.6 million branch library include a multi-purpose meeting and program room with a capacity of 50 people, fifteen Internet-connected computers, three study rooms, and on-site parking for 55 cars.
The new branch almost triples the size of the old McAuliffe in Saxonville.