Winthrop Library is Honored as a Building of the Year!
READ MORE ABOUT IT IN THE SEATTLE DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE.
The new Winthrop Library, which opened is doors in June of 2022, has been honored as a runner up by the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce as Building of the Year!
The design was inspired by open-air hay barns found in the Methow Valley / Photo by Benj Drummond
Inspired by the open-air agrarian buildings and barns in the region, the design for the new library in Winthrop, Washington includes broad overhangs, open roof trusses, and a visible interior structure. Johnston Architects’ co-founders’ deep roots in and knowledge of the Methow landscape and community are reflected in the design’s intentionality and aesthetic.
The library can hold a collection of over 20,000 materials and includes study tables, casual counter seating, lounge seating and window seats. Computers with internet access help narrow the digital divide in a community with diverse economic demographics. A maker space with a 3D printer and other hands-on technology and art options broaden the patron pool, and a divisible, public meeting room is accessible after hours.
The design team shifted window openings, doorways, overhangs, and a slatted wooden scrim to best control heat gain and glare during the Methow Valley’s arid summers.
The new library includes an already-beloved makerspace / Photo by Benj Drummond
The children’s library includes a kids-only restroom surrounded in a custom installation designed by JA / Photo by Benj Drummond
Natural and wildlife-inspired design elements were brought into the space, creating an immersive experience for patrons of all ages, including a sculptural “learning tree” made by a local artist that provides an interior niche. Created by Johnston Architects, a plywood-clad “cube” in the acoustically separate children’s area has a custom-designed animal motif, which contains activity desks and built-in reading cubbies to complete the whimsical design — and camouflage a children’s restroom. Additionally, a teen area and a librarian’s workroom were incorporated. A cozy fireplace beckons patrons from the front door to the far end of the space, where large windows frame the unique Methow landscape.