The new library will have shelf space for 156,000 item collection. There will be meeting rooms, large spaces for children and teens, study areas and over 50 public access computer stations. The building will also be Wi-Fi compatible for wireless Internet access.
concept
The iconography of Oklahoma is known for its burning sunsets, emblazoned sky over endless prairie grass, silhouetting the elements of industry and agriculture. The horizontality of the landscape permits extensive uninterrupted vistas of the sky, which produce spectacular fireworks of light and color as the daily cycle of the sun passes overhead. The native prairie grasses have gradually given way to agriculture, but the furrowed fields still provide the same effect; a uniform landscape under an all encompassing sky.
The implements of agriculture and industry have become commonplace along the horizon. Both the iconic windmill tower and the ever prolific oil derrick can be found throughout the city, in sometimes the most contradictory of settings. The silhouette of the trussed tower against the horizon is a representation of the strength of the people of Oklahoma who have persevered in the face of adversity.
Borrowing from this unique sense of place, the design of the building integrates this iconography in the form of the library; the horizontal roof form, supported by a series of derrick like skylight monitors, bracketed by native grassed earthen knolls.
