Located in the heart of Lenexa’s contemporary city center, this development is helping establish a new downtown for the city. Adjacent to a city hall, community center, restaurants and public market, the library welcomes all members of the community.
To achieve total flexibility, the majority of the library is an open loft-like space that houses the adult, teen, and juvenile collections on two levels. A two-story atrium serves as the living room for the community. Three large flexible meeting spaces and four smaller meeting spaces can be utilized by both library staff and community members and will provide access to technology for community groups, tutoring, and collaborative discussions. Patron convenience is at the forefront of the library’s automated conveyance system that allows patrons to both pick up holds and drop off returns via a drive-thru in the parking garage. The new library incorporates a service model designed to enhance public access to the collections, focus services to patrons, and integrate patron self-service strategies and staff mobility.
"This new library is meant to engage the community. The Community commons visually connects to the civic plaza, street, and public market. The upper and lower entries allow for ease of patron access from both the Civic Center and Public Plaza."
Thirty-foot high towering glass and zinc shingled walls fold across two sides of the building and allow for connectivity between the outdoor plaza and library patrons. These folding walls are unified by a curving railing that weaves between the interior and exterior of the building. This ribbon-like railing draws patrons walking along the public plaza toward the library’s two entrances.
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