In the Press

Inspiring Creativity with Design and Space

“This program is something I’ve been thinking about and dreaming about for a long, long time,” said Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) President Andrew Medlar at the outset of “Libraries: The Space to Be” at the 2016 Annual Conference and Exhibition on Monday.

Brian Lee, design partner at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, showed how space, light, and other design principles converge to create a community hub at the newly constructed Chinatown branch of the Chicago Public Library. “We had to pay attention to the culture of the neighborhood,” said Lee, whose firm enlisted a feng shui master for construction concepts. He remarked, “Children have no problem at all figuring out how [the space] should be used.”