Ramsey County Library - Maplewood
Maplewood, MinnesotaHGA designed the 31,000-square-foot Ramsey County Library-Maplewood as a compatible neighbor to the adjacent community park and wetlands. The entry, oriented toward the street, is clad in an expanded metal rain screen system, anodized to achieve an array of colors and patterns. The second architectural form, oriented toward the park and clad in zinc shingles, houses the library's main collections and major patron spaces within a flexible floor plan. Interior signage and graphics reflect falling leaves. An art installation by the Heart of the Beast Theatre Company of Minneapolis places giant paper-mache maple seeds glowing with multilingual letters over the children's reading area. The library meets LEED Certification requirements through such design strategies as day lighting and interior material selection.