The reimagined City of Appleton Public Library has won AIA Chicago Lerch Bates People’s Choice Award in the Community & Civic category. 

The project renews the library’s original 1981 brutalist structure as a vibrant civic anchor, transforming once-dark interiors into open, light-filled spaces shaped by extensive community input.

New skylights, a glazed entry, expanded children’s area, and flexible gathering spaces reaffirm the library’s role as an inclusive and sustainable community hub. With geothermal-powered heating and cooling, improved energy performance, and capacity for future upgrades, the library demonstrates how strategic reinvestment in existing structures can deliver lasting civic and environmental value—serving the community for generations to come.