The Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis has enjoyed Library services from the Indianapolis Public Library at various sites since 1930. Facing a need for continued growth, the current Glendale Branch was constructed in 2000 and became the country’s first full-service Library in a major shopping mall. The construction of a new stand-alone branch, that broke ground in 2022, will move the library out of the shopping center and help it achieve its goal of owning all of its locations.

The vision for the new Glendale Branch project stands in contrast to the previous shopping mall location, which had almost no daylight and was lacking in civic identity. Through discussion with library leaders and community engagement sessions, it also became clear that there was excitement for a facility with a strong community identity, in fluidity with the residential neighborhood it will reside in. With this in mind, the design started with the idea of breaking down the building into smaller blocks that respect the scale of the surrounding neighborhood while still giving the presence of an important civic and community building. Marrying those two concepts was an early driver of the design. Community engagement sessions also helped cast the vision for our design team, that the 5.7-acre site would feel more like a neighborhood park, with the library at its epicenter, detailed with timeless materials and warm interior finishes. That meant a catalyst for the design would be to view the site as an amenity, promoting connection from the building to the site, and visa-versa.

The library needed easier access for patrons, more daylight and study spaces, and modernization of overall service capability. The new 25,000 square-foot branch will give the library an opportunity to strengthen its civic identity and impact to the surrounding area by increasing services and access, which is expected to nearly double the daily visitors to the branch. The Branch will also have drive-up material returns, access to public transportation, a community meeting room with a capacity of 100 people, and LEEDv4 Silver Certification.

Construction Completion: Spring 2023.