Progress
As a starting point for the design, the firm studied the history of Western libraries and the spatial changes that corresponded to advances in media and technology. The existing library was built in the late modernist era of the 1970's, a time which accompanied a major shift in media with the advent of the cassette, VHS, and the microfiche. The firm's plan for the library's interior space is focused on updating the library's design to complement current technology, create circulation patterns that place stationary structures in the center of the floors and create space for staff and patron interaction, with movable parts and multiple paths along the perimeter.
Trey Trahan said the project would be a "vibrant addition to Baton Rouge's downtown - both a place for learning and a place for gathering." The Library's board is expected to select one of the options within the next three to four months.
