Shaw Library
| Shaw Neighborhood/Watha T. Daniel Library | |
|---|---|
East entrance to the Shaw Library, October 2015
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| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Public Library |
| Location | 1630 7th St. NW, Washington D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°54′44″N 77°01′21″W / 38.91236°N 77.02251°WCoordinates: 38°54′44″N 77°01′21″W / 38.91236°N 77.02251°W |
| Completed | 2010 |
| Opening | August 2010 |
| Cost | $12,000,000 |
| Owner | DC Public Library |
| Management | DC Public Library |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | 22,800 sq ft (2,100 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Davis Brody Bond Aedas |
| Developer | DC Public Library |
| Structural engineer | Delon Hampton |
| Main contractor | Forrester Construction Company |
For the Shaw Library of the Anglo-Chinese School in Singapore, visit here.
The Shaw Neighborhood Library or Watha T. Daniel Library is a building of award-winning design and one of the recently renovated libraries in the District of Columbia Public Library's system. Originally constructed in 1975 as a two-story structure in the Shaw neighborhood, the building was extensively renovated and reopened as a three-story structure in August 2010. With its distinctive translucent facade, glass enclosure, and light flooded interior, it has been hailed as a model for future libraries.
The Shaw library opened on September 27, 1975 at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and 7th Street NW with a ceremony led by Mayor Walter Washington. It reflected a design for the library, drawn up after the 1968 riots that devastated Shaw, which was so prison-like that the National Capital Planning Commission directed the District to open it up with larger windows, bigger setbacks, and arcades. The artictect, Eason Cross of the Alexandria VA-based firm Cross and Adreon, rejected the advice and persisted with the original Brutalist design that had only slits for windows. He continued with his plans, despite an attempt to get a federal injunction to stop, with the justification that the small, irregular size of the lot prohibited any redesign.
The original library, constructed at a cost of $1.2 million, came from Federal appropriations budgeted by the D.C. Commissioners. The two story building contained adult reading room, a lounge area, and a listening booth on the first floor while the second floor provided space for a children's room complete with a specially designed enclosure for story hours. The original building was razed in 2004.
The massive renovation, started with plans received in 2007, was part of a wave of upgrades to DC Public Library facilities undertaken by Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper. Costs were estimated to be $15,707,441 or $433 per square foot, though final costs were reported at $12,000,000. Of any of the projects, the renovation of the Shaw Library showed the greatest transformation from its previous state, according to Cooper.
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