The London Public Library Renovation and Addition, completed in May 1990, was design by Stephen L. Sharp. The design goals were to build as large an addition as the client could afford, make the building accessible, upgrade the library operations and maintain the integrity of the original building. A Community Room was also needed, which in turn would create more usage. Additional land was purchased to the rear which allowed creation of a formal garden and parking lot.

The budget permitted doubling the size of the building, and yet continue the exterior building materials and building lines. Portions of the original back wall and 6 of 12 windows were removed to provide circulation into the addition. These 12 windows are projected onto the rear curtain wall in a matching series of reflective and non-reflective glass, tying old into the new. Continuity was maintained on the building exterior by matching the Norman brick, repeating the window and Keystone patterns and extending the cornice. The architectural integrity of the original Carnegie style was maintained without duplication of the original, all the while letting the addition make its own statement.

Size of Project: 9,205 SF

Contract Cost: $704,917

Cost Per Sq. Ft.:$77.00

Completion Date:1990