American Libraries Magazine features SOM Design Partner Brian Lee in an interview on the research process that goes into the design and renovation of libraries. Lee discusses the forthcoming Roosevelt Square branch of the Chicago Public Library as a model for the innovative funding for libraries.
AIA has announced the 2018 recipients of the Institute Honor Awards, which recognize excellence and distinction in architecture, urban design, and interior architecture. Two SOM projects were honored: the New United States Courthouse in Los Angeles and the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library.
12/6/17
The Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library was awarded the 2017 Louis Sullivan Award by the Illinois Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. A special design award selected directly by the jury, the Sullivan Award is the highest state honor for design.
On November 28th, 2017, Design Director Eric Keune will commemorate SOM's 81st anniversary as part of the 2017 Chicago Architecture Biennial. Keune will share information on the firm's recent local work and will discuss a selection of international projects that have been informed by that local work.
Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin reports on the winners of the 2017 AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards. SOM received an Honor Award in the Divine Detail category for AMIE 1.0, and Citations of Merit for the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library and Dallas City Performance Hall.
The Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) honored three SOM projects—AMIE 1.0; the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library; and Dallas City Performance Hall—in the 2017 Design Excellence Awards. The awards were presented on October 13th, 2017.
On July 16th, 2017, the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library was featured on ABC 7's "Built to Last," a series that profiles buildings realized by Chicago's unionized carpenters and contractors. The episode included an interview with James Mark, SOM Strategic Management Leader.
On June 20th, 2017, Brian Lee will speak at Record on the Road, a symposium hosted by Architectural Record. Lee will discuss examples of recent civic and public work that reflect the event's theme, "Buildings in the Public Realm: Innovations in Civic and Commercial Architecture."
Architizer has announced four SOM projects as finalists for the 2017 Architizer A+ Awards. One of the most comprehensive awards programs in the world, the A+ Awards feature more than 100 distinct categories and represent projects from more than 100 countries.
3/1/17
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has honored The Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch with a 2017 Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design. The honor was presented at the 23rd annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards.
Business Insider includes the SOM-designed Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch in a list of the most beautiful libraries found in each U.S. state. Opened in 2015, the library serves as a new civic, educational, and social hub for Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood.
Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch and JTI Headquarters have been selected as 2016 finalists in Interior Design Magazine's Best of Year Awards. The program, now in its 11th year, honors the most significant interior design projects around the world.
In the Chicago Tribune, Blair Kamin suggests the potential ripple effects of the Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch. As the mayor announces a plan to include libraries in new Chicago Housing Authority buildings, Kamin cites SOM's "vibrant, light-filled structure" as a model for cost-effective civic architecture.
SOM Design Partner Brian Lee will lead two tours of the Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch on October 18th and 19th, 2016. Organized by Know Your Chicago, the "Architects of Global Knowledge" tours are hosted by Blair Kamin and Zurich Esposito.
ELLE Decor includes the SOM-designed Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library in a list of the best libraries in each of the 50 United States. Chosen as the most outstanding project in Illinois, the library is noted for its culturally resonant design that takes inspiration from its neighborhood.
Wired names the Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, noting that "a good library is more than a repository for books—it’s a community resource." Opened in 2015, the SOM-designed building is one of the Chicago Public Library's most visited branches.
The Design-Build Institute of America has honored the Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch with a National Design-Build Project/Team Award. The program celebrates exemplary design-build projects and teams that demonstrate best practices and showcase innovative solutions.
American Libraries covers the President's Program of the Association for Library Service to Children at the 2016 Annual Conference of the American Library Association. It quotes SOM Design Partner and program panelist Brian Lee, who spoke about the design of the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library.
6/27/16
The International Interior Design Association and the American Library Association announce Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch as the Best of Competition winner of the 2016 Library Interior Design Awards. The award recognizes library interior design that thoughtfully addresses functionality, creativity, and aesthetics.
On June 27th, 2016, SOM Design Partner Brian Lee will speak at the 2016 Annual Conference of the American Library Association in Orlando, Florida. Lee will explain SOM’s interactive, child-focused design for the Chinatown branch of the Chicago Public Library.
On June 8th, 2016, SOM Design Partner Brian Lee will speak at the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Hosted by the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the event will address how architects and librarians are designing the 21st-century library.
The Chicago chapter of the Urban Land Institute has recognized two SOM projects with 2016 Vision Awards, the organization's highest honor. The Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library and UI Labs Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute were both recognized for their contributions to the city.
Building Design + Construction profiles the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library, which has won a 2016 Gold Award in BD+C's annual Building Team Awards. BD+C sheds light on the process of designing and building this iconic library and community anchor.
The Chicago Tribune published an in-depth article detailing how Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood is flourishing, in comparison to enclaves in other U.S. cities. SOM's Chicago Public Library, Chinatown Branch is highlighted as a key investment by the city that is contributing to this neighborhood's growth.
SOM has received three 2016 Emerald Awards from the United States Green Building Council – Illinois Chapter. Celebrating two SOM projects and a member of the SOM team, the awards recognize leaders in sustainability in Illinois.
The Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library was honored in the 2016 Library Interior Design Awards by the International Interior Design Association and the American Library Association. This biennial awards program recognizes excellence in the design of library interiors.
The Chicago Tribune covers the national award win for the Chicago Public Library Chinatown Branch from the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association. Architecture critic Blair Kamin notes how the building, designed by SOM, departs from previous public building design in Chicago.
The Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library, designed by SOM, has won a 2016 AIA/ALA Library Building Award. The awards program honors excellent architecture that establishes progressive models for future libraries.
In a story that looks at the unprecedented growth of Chicago's Chinatown district, NextCity features the Chicago Public Library Chinatown Branch, a community building that is revitalizing the neighborhood. The project was designed by SOM and Wight & Company to achieve LEED® Gold status.
Dezeen features SOM’s Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library, exploring how the ancient Chinese practice of Feng Shui was incorporated into the design. The publication interviews SOM Design Partner Brian Lee and looks at the library's public art, youth engagement, and community space.
For the Chicago Tribune, architecture critic Blair Kamin rounded up the city's best architecture of 2015. Included on the list is the new Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library, which "broke the mold of lookalike public buildings."
The Architect's Newspaper has announced the winners of its third annual Best of Design Awards, which celebrates the year's most exciting and innovative projects. The SOM-designed Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library took top honors in the Midwest region, selected as Building of the Year.
SOM, in conjunction with the Chicago Public Library, the Public Building Commission of Chicago, and Wight & Company, announces the opening of the Chinatown Branch Library, located on Chicago’s Near South Side. The building creates a new civic, educational, and social hub for the neighborhood.
In a new article, The Architect's Newspaper covers Chicago’s newest public library branch, located in the city's Chinatown neighborhood. The design of the building by the design-build team, SOM and Wight & Company, marks a significant detour from the citywide prototype.
The Chicago Tribune spotlights the recently-opened Chinatown Branch Library as an outstanding example of innovative public architecture. The SOM-designed library serves as a new civic, educational, and social hub for Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood, providing a much-needed public gathering place geared toward inclusive community activities and driven by technology-based learning.
The Chicago Public Library opened its new Chinatown Branch, designed by SOM and Wight & Company. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, SOM's Brian Lee, and members of Chicago's Chinatown community.
The Chicago Public Library, in conjunction with the Public Building Commission of Chicago, will celebrate the opening of its new, SOM-designed Chinatown Branch. The event on August 29, 2015, will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as family-friendly activities and cultural performances.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently toured the new Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library with SOM Design Partner Brian Lee. Aligning with the Mayor’s principles of “open, accessible and green,” the SOM-designed library stands as a strong example of the positive impact that architecture and design can have on Chicago’s neighborhoods.
South Side Weekly takes a thoughtful look at the new Chinatown Public Library in Chicago, designed by SOM and slated for completion this summer. Once open, the library will provide a new civic, educational, and social hub for the city's Chinatown neighborhood.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and library commissioner Brian Bannon recently attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a new public library in Chicago. Chinatown Branch Library, designed by SOM and Wight & Company, will create a new civic, educational, and social hub for the city's Chinatown neighborhood.
The Chinatown Branch Library has won an Honorable Mention in this year's Library Interior Design Awards. Once complete, the library will serve as a vibrant educational and social hub for Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood.
Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans for a new Chinatown library branch that would be tailored to its site. The promising proposal, by SOM, calls for a two-story, round-edged building.