Public Library of Des Moines, Iowa, Preliminary Design Sketch

David Chipperfield’s public library design was commissioned as an important part of the civic regeneration strategy of Des Moines, Iowa, an important structure that would connect a new park district to the downtown business district. This linking function is expressed through the building’s shape and the important “gateway gallery” space on the ground floor, which creates a public route through the building, reinforcing its bridging character between the park and the city. Chipperfield chose a plan for the building with three lobes or wings to accommodate the public lobby areas, administrative offices, stacks, and reading areas. From a distance, the building appears to be a solid metal object, an illusion created by a hybrid cladding material composed of a copper mesh laminated between two layers of glass that serves to reflect sunlight, reduce cooling costs, and produce even light for reading.