Located in downtown Appleton, Wisconsin, the renovation and expansion of the Appleton Public Library updates a 1981 Brutalist building through strategic reuse, selective additions, and a fully electric energy system.

Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the project retains the majority of the existing structure rather than replacing it, reducing the materials and emissions associated with demolition, new construction, and transportation. The reuse strategy is estimated to have achieved an 80 percent reduction in embodied carbon compared with a new public assembly building.

Reusing an existing civic structure

The 93,675-square-foot library also reorganizes its floor plates to increase capacity and improve environmental performance. By retaining and adapting the building rather than expanding its footprint, the project enlarged the children’s area by 90 percent.

This approach combines programmatic growth with the continued use of existing materials and structure, extending the building’s service life while avoiding the carbon associated with constructing an equivalent new facility.

Reducing material and site impacts

Material use was reduced through open ceilings and selective acoustic treatments, limiting the need for additional interior finishes while addressing the acoustic requirements of different library spaces.

The landscape strategy incorporates native planting, while custom bird-safe glazing responds to local ecological conditions. Water-efficient plumbing fixtures further reduce potable water demand during operation.

Connected spaces for learning and gathering 
A new double-height, oval-shaped glazed entry establishes a welcoming point of arrival and leads into a bright commons for reading and events. Staggered openings carved into the floor plates, linked by open staircases, connect three levels: children’s collections and play zones on the lower level, teen and adult areas on the ground floor, and nonfiction collections above. 

Two new atria bring daylight deep into the east and west zones, while a third-floor addition houses a flexible 300-person meeting room that can be subdivided for smaller groups. Coworking spaces, study rooms, and multipurpose areas are distributed throughout the building, positioning the library as a dynamic civic resource for all ages.

Improving long-term energy performance

The community’s call for the Appleton Public Library to embody its values and endure for future generations required a design that looked beyond immediate needs, reducing long-term energy use, operating costs, and carbon impact. Beneath the parking lot at the southern entrance, a geothermal field of 70 boreholes, each drilled 436 feet deep, supplies renewable heating and cooling.

Passive strategies including expansive south-facing glazing, minimized east- and west-facing openings, and motorized shading further optimize daylight and energy performance. The building’s new enclosure of bronze aluminum panels and insulated glazing significantly improves thermal performance and overall efficiency.