A Public Library for Evanston,Illinois

The competition entry for a new library in Evanston, Illinois, addresses two important themes of the American city— ideality of form in civic buildings and representation of values associated with a public institution. Of primary concern was the desire for the building to be understood as an important part of the public realm of the city of Evanston, that it present itself as a library and a civic institution, and that it be seen, by association with other well-known public libraries, to represent the broader cultural values associated with knowledge and learning.