Walnut Street West Branch Library, Free Library of Philadelphia

The Walnut Street West Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia opened in 1906 as the first of 30 city libraries financed by Andrew Carnegie. Located on the University of Pennsylvania campus, it was the city’s first glazed terra cotta building. The project restored the original stature and elegance of the existing structure, including exterior preservation and repairs. The project reorganized the interior and updated the facility with modern amenities. The project was designed to LEED Silver standards. As part of this project, BKP worked with the City of Philadelphia’s Percent for Art program to commission Paul Santoleri to create Natural Light, a site-specific public artwork.