After a meeting with the Board of Trustees earlier this
week, Temple announced today, Nov. 22 that the site of the new library will
take over the space currently occupied by Barton Hall along 13th Street between
Norris Street and Polett Walk.
The 200,000 to 300,000-square-foot building is estimated to
be completed in 2018, with a budget of $190 million. The library is being
designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta along with Philadelphia-based
Stantec.
In a statement released Friday, Dean of University Libraries
Joseph Lucia, who was appointed in July, called the new library “a catalyst for
learning and intellectual engagement across the campus community.”
“The big fulcrum of change is a shift in the emphasis from
the library as a repository of books to the library as a place for sharing of
ideas and new knowledge,” Lucia said.
The library was originally planned to be built on the west
side of North Broad Street in the area of the Pavilion under the outdated
Temple 20/20 plan. However, President Theobald announced plans earlier this
year to move the library east of Broad Street to create a separation of
academics and athletics.
Jim Creedon, senior vice president for construction,
facilities and operations said the library will be the center of the
university’s new master plan under the Visualize Temple Initiative. Part of
that initiative, Creedon said, will include the building of a university quad
around the center of campus.
The demolition of Barton Hall was originally discussed under
the 20/20 initiative – which included the construction of the Science Education
Research Center – to make way for green
space.
Under the new plan, the demolition of Barton Hall is
scheduled to begin in the summer of 2015 at the earliest, after all class space
is transferred to the SERC and Wachman Hall.
The completed master plan is expected to be released by the
university next spring.
Source: Temple-news.com
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