Title: Thompson Branch Library
Location of Proejct: Thompson, Ohio
Project Completion Date: November 2020
Firm Name: Perkins&Will in association with CBLH Design

Short Description: Thompson Branch Library is designed to reflect the history and culture of its rural Ohio township through familiar barn geometry. Just as the barn has consistently adapted and innovated over time, the library has transformed as both an information hub and civic gathering place. The interior spaces are simple and intuitive, keeping with the functional spirit of agrarian living. Three key areas of inspiration for the library design helped build consensus in the community: resourcefulness & the handmade, a welcoming hearth, and reference to vernacular barn structures.

Architect's Statement: Thompson Branch, an 8,500 sf public library serving rural Northeast Ohio, draws inspiration from its surrounding community – melding traditional agrarian typologies with contemporary technology & resources. An intensive engagement process with the Township’s residents uncovered three key areas of shared experience that inspired the library’s design:

Handmade: Thompson’s residents are ever-resourceful, finding friendship through woodworking and handicraft. A motif synonymous with Midwest quilting is the Ohio Star, a tessellated pattern of blocks and triangles. The library includes this pattern as graphic identity, and incorporates weaving block patterns in the lighting, carpet and tile finishes to reinforce the concept of handcrafted material.

Hearth: The fireplace is an important symbol of family and community – where friends gather and families grow closer. Especially in the midst of deep Ohio winters, residents found the hearth in the Library to be a relatable lounge space that communicates warmth and welcome to all. Additionally, the community gathering space in the library is now home to the large bronze bell that once adorned the historic schoolhouse nearby, marking the symbolic center of life together in the Township.

Vernacular: Drawing from familiar references such as barn outbuildings and historic town halls, the Library captures a spirit of life in the country while maintaining a distinctly modern attitude. The facility is comprised of two gabled volumes that closely match the scale of surrounding homes, clad in economical standing seam metal panels on roof and walls to emphasize the simplicity of the silhouette. Traditionally, owners hang a unique ‘barn quilt’ on the gable ends of their barns to add a personal touch to their property – the library has adopted this custom by using a distinctive glass frit in the shape of the Ohio Star. Tying back to the domestic identity of porch, the library provides a back patio to allow community events to extend to the meadow beyond, and a front porch for outdoor children’s programming.

The use of warm wood cladding on the exterior marks the main entry, transitioning to an interior ceiling element that stitches together the two gabled volumes and provides clear wayfinding. Large expanses of glass in the new library are important for views to the pastoral landscape and forests beyond. The west-facing gable that faces the main street welcomes approaching visitors by framing children’s activities by day and glowing like a lantern after twilight. Vaulted interior ceilings provide a blank canvas for experiencing green summer foliage and the vibrant reds and oranges of autumn.

From both the interior and exterior, the library is meant to evoke a welcoming familiarity to patrons, while providing a distinctly 21st-century branch library that is designed for life-giving community connections in a post-pandemic world.