Lewis Library – Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey

  • The 81,000 sf library complex expands the university’s current storage space for science-related publications
  • Provides classrooms and faculty offices for a range of science disciplines
  • The design allows for easier access to resources by bringing together a number of disciplines under one roof
  • Education functions are carefully divided into two classroom legs connected via a central unifying office tower
  • The building’s exterior is whimsical and showcases a curved metal skin which envelops the building’s functional core
  • The thin stainless steel sheathing is defined by compound curves, which are computer generated
  • The exterior design utilizes a substantial amount of exterior glazing to allow natural light into the public spaces
  • The structural design system utilizes a composite collage of steel, concrete and masonry
  • Emerging from the cast-in-place concrete foundation are six distinct building typologies – five low rise satellites surrounding a central library tower
  • All of the structures connect via a complex system of low roofs and skylights that function as atrium links between the sectors
  • The central library tower is structured using concrete
  • The project was dimensionally documented utilizing the 3D modeling package, Digital Project
  • Awards:
    ACEC New York – Diamond Award, Structural Systems 2008
    CIB – Award of Merit 2007