SR-850-005-01 (13)
Council Meeting: December 18, 2001 Santa Monica, California
To: Mayor and Councilmembers
Chairperson and Redevelopment Agency
From: City Staff
Subject: Approval of the Main Library Conceptual Plan
Introduction
This report recommends that City Council approve the conceptual plan for the Main
Library, as revised based upon comments and input from the community, Council and
Library Board, and authorize staff to proceed with schematic design and the EIR
process. This report also recommends that the Redevelopment Agency receive and file
this report.
Background
Since the early 1980?s the community has expressed interest in expanded library
service and resources. In response, staff has coordinated activities designed to collect
suggestions and input about the direction for these enhancements. A formal planning
process begun in 1996 included focus groups, surveys and community meetings,
resulting in a Library Master Plan.
In 1998 voters approved a $25,000,000 bond measure to fund improvements to the
Main and Branch Libraries. Since that approval, staff has proceeded with the
development of the project program and selected and entered into contracts with Bovis
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Lend Lease for project management and the architectural firm of Moore Ruble Yudell
(MRY).
Working from the Master Plan and the Library?s building program, MRY began working
with a project team to formulate the conceptual design. On November 13, 2001, MRY
presented the features of the conceptual plan, along with background material, for
review and discussion by the community, Council, and Library Board. Comments and
suggestions made at that meeting are now reflected in the plan.
Discussion
Conceptual Design
With the conceptual design MRY is translating the building program into sketches and
drawings that establish an approach for further development of the Main Library plans.
The drawings consider the site, setting and context together with the functional details
of library service. A desire to reflect the character of Santa Monica is blended with a
response to community priorities and expectations for a landmark building that will serve
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the public well into the 21 century. While the existing library was designed as an island,
with the focus intentionally turned inward, the new plan incorporates a concept of
openness and a desire to create views into and out of the building to enhance
community awareness and encourage public use.
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The Site
Starting with the climate and urban setting, many factors about the site for the new
library have affected the design. Being on a major corridor through the city and in close
proximity of the new transit mall and the Third Street Promenade, the new library will
incorporate features such as multiple entrances, garden spaces and window walls to
engage the passerby and activate the edges of the site. The design is faithful to the
needs of a functioning, full service library, placing that functionality in a building that
responds to its context in the city.
First Floor
The transition from outside to inside is through garden spaces that serve to provide
some urban green space and soften the transition on the way into or out of the building.
Primary entrances are located to the south on Santa Monica Boulevard and to the north
off of Sixth Street. A secondary entrance to the building is located on Seventh Street
adjacent to the main entrance of the proposed Santa Monica Historical Society
Museum.
Once inside there are interior ?streets? that direct visitors to the various centers of
activity. One of these is a passage from the Seventh Street entrance, running east to
west. This corridor, while inside the building, is outside of the ?secure area? of the
Library, that is, it is outside of the area controlled by the Library?s security system for
materials. Spaces located north of this passage, including the museum, Friends of the
Library store, restrooms and public meeting rooms, can operate at different hours than
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the Library. This ?after hours? arrangement could also be applied to the café and central
courtyard.
A spacious north/south lobby connects the two primary entrances and provides visual
access to most of the other spaces within the building. Two service desks are located in
this lobby, the circulation desk and an information desk, which will be conspicuous
points of service for the public and from which staff will be able to provide security for
the building. The lobby also provides access to a large central courtyard.
Other first floor spaces include staff areas; the fiction, popular and media collections;
the main reading room; a young adult space; and the children?s area. Most of the staff
space is clustered on the northwest corner, adjacent to the circulation desk and lobby.
Collections are grouped in stacks running east/west along the Santa Monica Boulevard
edge. A grand reading space is centered on the south end of the building, adjacent to
the popular library, media collection and magazines, and open to the floor above. The
children?s and young adult areas, including group study rooms and a children?s activity
center, are located along the Seventh Street edge of the first floor.
The central concepts for the ground floor are to take advantage of the connection with
the outdoors, with strong links between garden space, entrances and the interior, and to
concentrate the more active and busy spaces there. An elevator and grand staircase
are centrally located to provide convenient access to the second floor.
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Second Floor
In contrast to the first floor, the second floor spaces focus on research and study
activities. Central to the second floor?s theme is the nonfiction book collection, which
extends the length of the building along the south edge. A conspicuous reference desk
at the southeast corner will provide the main service point for the second floor and allow
staff to monitor the area.
Plans call for technology and access to electronic resources to be well integrated
throughout the building. However, a computer commons will be located on the second
floor, where up to fifty computers will provide public access to the Internet, other online
resources, and productivity software. Nearby, a training room will be designed for public
workshops to introduce information technology and resources.
The Santa Monica Public Library is known for the quality and integrity of its periodical
collection. In the new library the back files of magazines will be housed in a space
adjoining a quiet study area and the local history room. Access to these areas will be
monitored by a service desk but allow for direct public access to the collections. The
quiet room will provide an environment for those desiring a quiet place for concentration
and study.
Like the ground floor, the second floor will have strong connections with the outdoors. It
will take advantage of its elevation and windows to provide for views into the courtyards
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and garden spaces, as well as outside. An outdoor terrace at the second level will
overlook the central courtyard.
Courtyard
At the center of the Library, and within the secure area, is a large open courtyard of
nearly 10,000 square feet. The moderate Santa Monica climate makes it an ideal setting
for such a space that can be used for special events and activities or for casual outdoor
reading. Its glass walls will allow visitors to see through the space to other parts of the
building, and doorways allow for ?shortcuts? between the different activity centers. The
conceptual design incorporates a small café in the courtyard.
Café
The idea of having a café in the new Library was popular with the public during focus
groups and community discussions, though some people expressed concern about
having food near the collections. In the conceptual plan a small café is located in the
large central courtyard. The intent is to provide a spot where Library patrons can take a
break and purchase some refreshments without leaving the building.
By locating the café in the courtyard and along the edge of the secure area it will be
possible to arrange access to the café during non-open hours. This will allow the café
and courtyard to be used during after-hours programs or by those waiting for the Library
to open.
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Community Meeting Space
The Main Library conceptual plan addresses the severe shortage of meeting space in
the existing building. While the current building has the capacity for 238 participants in
four rooms, the new building will have approximately 467 seats in 18 rooms ? ranging
from a 150-seat auditorium to a group of two-person tutoring rooms. All of the meeting
spaces are to be adequately wired for digital connections, audio and video. Three of the
rooms will be located outside of the Library?s secure area, allowing for use during non-
open hours.
The auditorium is planned as a sloped-floor, fixed seat room with a raised platform for
presentations. Located at the north edge of the building, its entrance will be from a
reception courtyard and adjacent to the entry garden at Sixth Street. The design will
allow for the possibility of incorporating the garden into the meeting space for pre- or
post-event gatherings.
A flat-floor multipurpose room accommodating 120 participants and a smaller room for
up to 20 participants are planned for the second floor. A third flat-floor room will be
located on the first floor in the youth area. All of these rooms will be designed for
flexibility to accommodate the widest variety of activities and programs.
A popular concept, recently tested in the existing Main Library, is small study rooms for
tutoring, independent study or collaborative work. The small rooms are booked for
specific times and have proved to be very popular. In the conceptual plan there are
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fourteen such rooms ? two for up to six people; eight for up to four; and four rooms that
are intended for individual or one-on-one work. The rooms work well for individuals who
want to have private space for concentration and for groups doing collaborative
projects.
Parking
Most of the parking for Library visitors will be below grade. Three floors of parking will
be constructed beneath the building with elevator and stair access to the ground level.
The parking entrance will be directly from Seventh Street and allow for one lane of entry
and two for exiting. Between 500 and 600 below-grade parking spaces are anticipated,
with those beyond the anticipated needs of the Library being funded by the
Redevelopment Agency. The Redevelopment Agency consideration of this funding will
take place at a later date.
The north edge of the lot will include surface-level space for a loading area, a limited
number of short-term and handicapped parking spaces, and a right-of-way for exiting
the alley. This area may be used for future expansion, as discussed below.
Other Issues
Expansion / Surface Parking
No structures will be built along the north edge of the Library lot. This space
(approximately 70 feet by 320 feet) extends from Sixth Street to Seventh Street and will
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be used for a small surface parking lot and as the exit path from the Sixth Court alley. It
is also the area being considered for possible future expansion of the Library.
In discussions with the community, people have come out on both sides of the issue of
having surface parking. Some would prefer to keep all of the parking underground and
use the space for gardens. Others have supported having surface parking with easy
access to the Library entrance for disabled parking, quick pickup of materials and
passenger loading. The conceptual plan represents a compromise between these
points of view. It calls for well-landscaped parking to border the access lane connecting
Sixth and Seventh Streets to Sixth Court.
Historically libraries tend to be heavily used and find themselves pressed for space in
30 to 50 years. The conceptual plan anticipates the possibility of a future addition to the
new Main Library, with some of the space to the north being used for construction.
Access from Sixth Court to either Sixth Street or Seventh Street will need to be
maintained but the path to one of these streets could accommodate an addition. The
design allows for expansion of the first and second floors, as well as the below grade
parking. What exactly would be housed in a future expansion cannot be predicted at this
time, but the space would most likely be used to accommodate more public meeting
space, expanded collections or a larger area for children and youth.
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Environmental Issues
A priority for the Main Library project is to be fully consistent with the City?s Sustainable
Building Guidelines and to exemplify sustainable architecture. The new facility is
expected to meet or exceed the performance requirements necessary for a silver LEED
rating. A multidisciplinary design team will collaborate to develop plans and strategies to
minimize the use of resources, reduce any harmful effects on the environment and
create a healthy indoor environment. Life-cycle analysis and a ?whole-building?
approach will reduce the impact of construction and lower the operating costs for the
new building. Library and Environmental Services staffs have begun discussions on
how to incorporate green building instruction and demonstration features into the
ongoing program.
Art Component
From the beginning there has been an expectation that art would be a key aspect of the
design for the new Main Library. The Arts Commission has selected an artist to
collaborate with MRY on the design and to develop specific art features for the project.
Details for these aspects of the design will follow the conceptual design phase.
Discussions with the Smithsonian Institution suggest that it is likely that eight panels of
the Stanton Macdonald-Wright mural will be loaned back to the city. The mural,
currently held by the Smithsonian, was painted in the 1930?s for the old Main Library
building at Fifth Street. The eight panels have been restored and were recently included
in a Macdonald-Wright exhibit. Seven are currently being stored at a fine art storage
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facility and one is still on display. MRY is considering how best to incorporate the eight
historic panels and contemporary art together in the design.
Museum
On February 27, 2001 Council approved incorporating an additional 5,000 square feet in
the new Main Library program for the museum of the Santa Monica Historical Society.
General lease terms for the space were described at that time and have since been
incorporated into a draft lease agreement. The conceptual plan includes the museum
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space as a dedicated block of 5,000 square feet. Its main entrance is located on 7
Street with a small garden. Historical Society staff will develop the program and plans
for the museum space.
Next Steps
The conceptual design is a major milestone in the design process. Approval will trigger
the transition to the schematic design phase and further refinement of the plans, leading
to the EIR process. The schematic design and final EIR will be presented to Council in
November 2002.
Budget / Financial Impact
The total project is expected to cost approximately $49.5 million. Funds in the amount of
$45 million for this project are included in the Capital Improvements Program. The
remaining funds will be appropriated in next year?s CIP budget.
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Transportation, storage and insurance for the Stanton Macdonald-Wright mural panels
is approximately $4,990 for three years and will be paid for from account number
C01049100.589000.
Recommendation
Staff recommends that Council approve the conceptual plan and authorize staff to
proceed with schematic design and the EIR process. Staff also recommends that the
Redevelopment Agency receive and file this report.
Prepared by: Wini Allard, City Librarian
Greg Mullen, Assistant City Librarian
Attachments: Conceptual Drawings 1-8
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