Design Trend: Civic Beacons | Year in Architecture 2025

Written By Christina Chen

ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN LIBRARY JOURNAL ON NOVEMBER 5, 2025.

BY DANIEL LAROSSA

Nationwide, libraries are critical community hubs. Their uniquely responsive programs are increasingly visible through facilities designed as highly transparent civic beacons embodying shared values of learning, connection, and inclusion. Recent reinventions of both small regional libraries and major urban libraries alike highlight how library design is evolving to elevate these lasting symbols of civic pride to 21st-century service models. At Gladstone Library, OR, a small library has a large impact through its striking perforated metal sunshade. Beautiful and functional, this feature reduces heat gain during the day while glowing at night. Anchoring Gladstone’s main street, the transparent architecture naturally draws visitors into its warm interior.



Read the rest of the article for more library trends on Library Journal!

Gladstone Library / Photo by Christian Columbres

 
Christina Chen
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