New Community Icon Emerges in South Norfolk

The New South Norfolk library was presented to the South Norfolk community and received with great enthusiasm.  A public forum was held to introduce the project and collect community input as the project moves into Design Development.

A neighborhood institution along Poindexter street for over 50 years, the new reinvented Chesapeake Public Library in South Norfolk will serve as a community icon and anchor for neighborhood revitalization.  Engaging public spaces and historic nods to the Arts and Crafts movement allow this new structure to answer the needs of the public while accommodating the vernacular of the surrounding historic districts.

South Norfolk Library is a notable structure by blending functional and aesthetics details with earth-tone colors to form a distinct yet familiar civic building.  The exterior stone base veneer and paneled siding with the aluminum window system is sleek and contemporary, yet remains in perfect harmony with its Arts in Crafts exposed rafters, residential fenestration design and column detailing.  Tall, green reflective glass adds depth and character to the overall dimension of the building, while low sill heights and extended canopies provide a visual connection to the interior of the library while providing a pedestrian scaled streetscape.

The interiors continue the theme of blending contemporary spatial arrangements with Arts and Crafts detailing and motifs.  The new library provides extensive book browsing areas in a more retail atmosphere, with self checkout areas, a multitude of computer access areas, the South Norfolk history room, and even a cafe.  Warm color tones and stone accents invite you deeper into the library with the promise of comfortable seating and the intimacy of the fireplace.  The teen area provides an individual space with cool and funky furniture.  The children’s areas round out the library experience with open functional spaces that provide visual connection to the exterior

The project is an integral part of the Poindexter corridor revival by strengthening the streetscape, restoring the urban edge, and linking the adjacent the Johnson City Park through its shared site.  An HBA community project in its truest form, this 17,500 square foot state-of-the-art library is designed around the collective needs of citizens, civic groups, neighborhoods, associations, and city-wide agencies.

The anticipated design and construction schedule has the project completion slated for early 2012.

– Mike Winner