MIDLAND LIBRARY
Weaving Communal Space
Role: Design Architect
Location: Portland, Oregon
Client: Multnomah County Library
Size: 24,000sf renovation; 6,000sf addition
Community Design Advocates: CDA #1, CDA #2, Anabertha Alvarado Martinez, Anthony Deloney, Athena Rilatos, Dominique Garcia, Isa Ruelas, Jay Tang, Jess Smith-Carlock, Jenica Ocker, Marih Alyn-Claire, Miguel Rodriguez, Som Subedi, Sophie Garcia
Collaborators: Bora Architecture & Interiors (Architect of Record)
The Midland Library serves as a regional library for east Portland, a dynamic cultural landscape that has become home to many communities of color, as well as immigrants, refugees, and low income communities; following gentrification of Portland’s city center. This is an area with a richness of story and culture, that has also been impacted by a historical lack of investment and lack of public space. This expansion of the Midland Library serves as one of the first of many projects to address this disparity, and create a public amenity that is designed with and built for its east Portland residents to gather and thrive.
Drawing from the many stories, experiences, and opportunities heard from Midland’s communities, this design seeks to weave together their stories and lived experiences in a shared communal space.
Similar to the strands in a basket, which are stronger together, by bringing together individuals into a woven community, this library will build collective strength through newly created outdoor plaza space, collective seating, and flexible program rooms. People are encouraged to engage together through interactive play and discovery with sliding art walls, multi-sensory play, and flexible workshop spaces.
Patrons will discover a collective history that represents, includes, and celebrates their stories through a Community Art Showcase, prominent art by local artists, and cultural collection displays.
Collective well-being is nurtured for people as well as the earth, of which we are a part. Opportunities for outdoor seating and children’s play are nestled in native plantings with a strengthened connection to Midland Park. Throughout the design, warm wood tones and references to rivers, water, and trees connect back to nature and evoke life and adaptation. A lactation room, sensory room, and quiet spaces support mental and physical health.
ENGAGEMENT, & Design Process
Design Team Trainings
Design team members, consultants, and key library staff attended trainings on Design Justice, creating a foundation for recognizing systems of injustice and considering where each of us might seek to use our influence to create change.
Interviews with Staff
We held conversations with one to three staff at a time, learning about their experiences at the library, questions and concerns about the design process, and what they see as opportunities for the future. Staff also helped us identify priority stakeholder groups and provided connections for upcoming work.
Community Design Advocates (CDAs)
A cohort of CDAs from the most impacted stakeholder groups were hired, trained and given resources to connect with their own communities and advocate for their needs as part of our team.
CDAs led engagement ranging from collaging with youth and families, engaging indigenous studies classes, attending community festivals, hosting focus groups, to conversations over tea.
Your Street Your Voice (YSYV)
A project based program where youth are paid to learn about design as a tool for racial justice. A cohort of twelve Black and Brown teens helped to define the teen space through four design and visioning sessions.
Open Houses
To hear from the broader public, the team held a series of Open Houses that were open to anyone to join.
Content from Open Houses were translated into Leave Behind Boards that were set up at each library location so that Patrons visiting the library could also view the materials and weigh in. These also enabled location staff to review our designs and let us know their insights.
Voting
Community members had a chance to vote on interior material palettes. Over 1500 votes were cast for the future feel of the Midland Library.
Art Workshops
Colloqate hosted a storytelling and patterning workshop that invited community members to inspire patterns that will be engraved on the exterior walls of the building.
Local artists are continuing to host art workshops for additional art on the building.
*COVID restrictions continued to limit the range of engagement on this project.