Washington Library

-AR.THOMAS H BEEBY
AR.THOMAS H BEEBY
ABOUT ARCHITECT
 Thomas H. Beeby (born 1941) is an American architect who was a member of the "Chicago Seven"
architects and has been Chairman Emeritus of Hammond, Beeby, Rupert, Ainge Architects (HBRA) for
over thirty-nine years
 1985 to 1992 Dean of the Yale School of Architecture Initiatives & Projects
 Thomas H. Beeby, an innovative architect celebrated for an array of cultural, academic, religious,
residential, and commercial buildings, has been named the recipient of the 2013 Richard H. Driehaus
Prize at the University of Notre Dame. Beeby, the 11th Driehaus Prize laureate, will receive $200,000
and a bronze miniature of the Choregic Monument of Lysikrates during a March 23 ceremony in
Chicago.
ABOUT IT
The Harold Washington Library Center is the central library for the 
Chicago Public Library System. It is located just south of the Loop 'L',
at 400 S. State Streetin Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a full-
service library and is ADA compliant. As with all libraries in the
Chicago Public Library system, it has free Wi-Fiinternet service. The
building contains approximately 756,000 square feet (70,200 m2) of
space.[1] The total square footage is approximately 972,000 square
feet (90,300 m2) including the rooftop garden penthouse, according to
the Zoning department of the city of Chicago.
  The exterior evokes the design of the Rookery, Auditorium
 and the Monadnock buildings. The bottom portion is made
EXTERIOR of large granite blocks. Red brick makes up the majority of the
exterior. These two portions draw on the Beaux-Art style.
 On the divide between the granite blocks and the brick
portions are wall medallions that have the face of Ceres and
ears of corn.
 On the north, east and south sides of the build are five story
tall arched windows. Between the windows are rope friezes.
  The pediments and most of the west side facing
Plymouth Court are glass, steel and aluminum with
ornamentation hearkening to the Mannerist style.
 In 1993, the roof was ornamented with seven large,
EXTERIOR painted aluminum acroteria designed by 
Kent Bloomer with owl figures by Raymond Kaskey.[8]
 The acroterium on the State Street side depicts an 
owl, a symbol of knowledge due to its association with
the Greek goddess Athena. The acroteria on the
Congress Parkway and on the Van Buren sides contain
seed pods, which represent the natural bounty of the 
Midwest. The acroteria angularia each contain an owl
perched in foliage.
  All public doors lead to the lobby. The north public
entrance on Van Buren is just east of the CTA's 
Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren station,
INTERIOR served by the Brown, Orange, Pink and Purple Lines.
The corridor goes east, then south, then west, and
opens south to the lobby.
 The east and south public entrances open directly to the
lobby. The west public entrance opens to the offices. The
west corridor goes east then south to open at the lobby.
  The lower level houses the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium,
INTERIOR Multi-Purpose Room and Exhibit Hall.
 The central lobby is two stories tall and includes both
the circulation and information desks. On the east
side, the Popular Library is housed and on the West
side there is a YouMedia space for teens.
 The second floor houses the Thomas Hughes
Children’s library.
 The fourth floor holds the business, general sciences,
and technology items.
 The third floor includes computers for public use,
INTERIOR periodicals, interlibrary loan and general information
services departments along with a 
library makerspace. The Maker Lab includes multiple
3d printers, CNC machines and Laser Cutters. Use of
these machines is available for a nominal fee.
The fifth floor holds government publications,
Chicago municipal references, maps, and center for
the blind, visually impaired and physically disabled.
The sixth floor holds social sciences and history
resources.
The seventh floor holds literature and language
resources as well as a work by acclaimed Polish
 sculptor Jerzy Kenar.
  The eighth floor holds visual and performing arts resources,
music practice rooms, and audio/visual rooms.
INTERIOR  The ninth floor holds the winter garden, which may serve as a
reading room, or be rented for social functions, also on this
floor are exhibit halls, Special Collections, and the Harold
Washington Archives and Collections.
 The tenth floor is not open to the public. It houses library
offices and technical services.
THANK YOU