An Old Library Gets a Makeover
Photos by Tom Daly, courtesy of UVA Library
Alderman Library opened its doors in 1938, replacing the Rotunda as the University of Virginia’s main library. For generations of patrons, Alderman was a charming place for research and study. By the time the library reached its 75th anniversary in 2013, it was clear that a major renovation was needed.
Now, after a nearly four-year, $160 million renovation, the library has reopened to rave reviews. The transformation of the library is dramatic, to put it mildly. Spaces are expansive, warm and pleasingly bright. There’s an artful blend of the modern and the classical that feels fresh and inspiring.
“The design of this addition does so much for the library and for the University,” says Alice Raucher, architect for the University. “The addition beautifully builds upon the logic of the original historic plan—it opens spaces up to natural light and allows views through the building that didn’t previously exist. All of this connects the building to Grounds as if it had always been this way.”
The library also has a new name. Originally named for Edwin Alderman, UVA’s first president from 1904 to 1931, the library has been renamed in honor of the University’s fourth president, Edgar Shannon, who served from 1959 to 1974. The change was instituted after a March vote by UVA’s Board of Visitors, ahead of the library’s grand opening in April. Now known as The Edgar Shannon Library, the honor “appropriately recognizes a remarkable University leader who transformed UVA into a modern research university, but who has little formal recognition on Grounds,” says Michael Suarez, an English professor and director of Rare Book School who headed the committee that recommended the new name.
The library project, designed by HBRA Architects with Clark Nexsen and constructed by Skanska, includes a 100,000 square foot historic renovation and a 130,000 square foot modern addition.
The library’s infrastructure has been completely overhauled with new HVAC systems, electrical wiring, fire suppression, plumbing, and more, while also improving accessibility and achieving a LEED silver rating for sustainability. The renovation has produced a safer, more welcoming, and user-friendly space.
Shannon Library is home to UVA’s social sciences and humanities collection, housed in the stacks and on the first floor of Clemons Library—now connected by an internal passage. In addition to collections, there are spaces to take care of them. The library features workrooms for material assessment and maintenance, high-tech areas for digitization, audiovisual reformatting and preservation, conservation labs with viewing windows and a remediation lab for pest and mold treatment. Other specialized spaces include the Scholars’ Lab, a digital humanities community lab with a new makerspace, the technology-focused Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, a seminar/event room, numerous conference rooms, and classrooms.
John Unsworth, university librarian and dean of libraries, views the renovation as marking the third stage in the history of the University Library. “The first chapter was the building of the Rotunda, centering the University around a library rather than the customary chapel,” he says. “The second was when the collections outgrew the Rotunda and Alderman was constructed. And now we have the renovation, creating the library the University needs for the next 75 to 100 years.”
New Additions
Study Courts
The building’s original architecture featured a pair of light wells intended to provide natural illumination and air circulation. Before the renovation, these areas were outdoor spaces that were inaccessible to patrons. The redesign has transformed the area into an inviting second-floor study court that feels outdoor-like, topped with skylights that bathe the space in natural light. Outfitted with ample seating, these courtyards have quickly become favorite spots for reading, studying, and socializing.
Reading Room
The expansive reading room on the fourth floor is particularly impressive, with its lofty ceiling and towering windows that ascend to additional seating on the level above. The design of this new section echoes the aesthetic of the original 1937 architecture, lost after the grand north facade was replaced by an uninviting brick wall during the 1967 addition of the New Stacks. Like many spaces throughout the renovated library, this room, which stands where the New Stacks once loomed, honors and recaptures the building’s historical charm while updating it to meet modern needs. Another modern twist on a historical feature—the overhead light fixtures reference the fish-scale pattern on the railings from the Rotunda (see page 44).
The Clerestory
A clerestory, or a high section of the roof with windows, is an architectural highlight that helps the library feel bright and airy. The clerestory windows, along with others throughout the building, have a UV-filtering treatment to shield the library’s valuable collections from sunlight exposure, while minimizing glare and unwanted direct solar heating. “The first library for the University was the Rotunda, with its huge, double-height drum and vaulted ceiling topped with an oculus shining in from the top,” says Kit Meyer, UVA senior project manager for the library renovation. “In the main library, there is a clerestory on the roof, which pops the ceiling up in the middle of the fifth floor. It is sided with huge windows that let in lots of light; then there is a hole in the floor between the fifth and the fourth floor, so that natural light comes down all the way into the center of the stacks.”
A Community Resource
The UVA Library isn’t just for students and faculty. “We’d love for more people to be aware that we are a community resource and we welcome the community to use our spaces and services,” says Elyse Girard, the library’s executive director of communications and user experience. “Virginia residents who are 16 years of age and older can register for a UVA library card. We also have public computers and other resources that community patrons can access while visiting.”
Throughout the year, the library hosts numerous events, lectures, and workshops—ranging from a digital humanities lecture on supply chain issues to a needle felting workshop in Shannon’s new makerspace—that are free and open to the public. The library also hosts programs during community events such as the Festival of the Book and Garden Week.
The library’s exhibition programs are open to the University community and general public. Currently on display in the Main Gallery of the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library through June 6, The World as They Made It: Looking Back at the Harlem Renaissance exhibition features the visionary works of writers, artists, and thinkers who helped shape
Black American identity and political consciousness. Along with rotating exhibitions, permanent Declaring Independence and Flowerdew Hundred exhibitions can be viewed in the Harrison Institute (in the same building as the Small Special Collections Library).
Public access was factored into the planning of the renovation. The library has a new entrance facing the growing northern corridor along University Avenue, making the building more welcoming to the community.
OLD FAVORITES
The McGregor Room
One of the first questions that many students asked about the library renovation was, “What will happen to the McGregor Room?” Affectionately referred to as the Harry Potter Room, the cozy, wood-paneled room has long been a favorite study spot. Many were relieved to know that great care was taken to preserve the space as closely as possible to its original appearance. The restoration team refinished the parquet floors and removed, cleaned, sanded, and stained the millwork and cabinet doors—a subtle but important project that protects and preserves the room’s elaborate woodwork.
The Reference, Periodicals, and Oversize Room
This room was upgraded while maintaining the classic reading room ambiance that generations of students have come to enjoy during their study sessions. The room’s enhancements include elevated ceilings and walls painted a warm shade of yellow, providing the space with an airier and more inviting atmosphere. Much of the
furniture—including the well-used tables and Windsor chairs—has been meticulously restored to its former glory by Virginia Craftsmen of Harrisonburg, the very artisans who originally crafted these pieces more than eight decades ago. In all, about 400 pieces of furniture were refurbished.
The number of reading seats in the library has nearly doubled, from 800 to 1,445. The increased seating includes study carrels, reading tables and group study rooms. Many of the study areas feature Newport chairs like the one pictured above, made by Thos. Moser, which made 356 for the library. Thos. Moser also made arm chairs, benches, lounge chairs, and custom study and reading room tables for the library.
OLD FAVORITES
The McGregor Room
One of the first questions that many students asked about the library renovation was, “What will happen to the McGregor Room?” Affectionately referred to as the Harry Potter Room, the cozy, wood-paneled room has long been a favorite study spot. Many were relieved to know that great care was taken to preserve the space as closely as possible to its original appearance. The restoration team refinished the parquet floors and removed, cleaned, sanded, and stained the millwork and cabinet doors—a subtle but important project that protects and preserves the room’s elaborate woodwork.
The Reference, Periodicals, and Oversize Room
This room was upgraded while maintaining the classic reading room ambiance that generations of students have come to enjoy during their study sessions. The room’s enhancements include elevated ceilings and walls painted a warm shade of yellow, providing the space with an airier and more inviting atmosphere. Much of the
furniture—including the well-used tables and Windsor chairs—has been meticulously restored to its former glory by Virginia Craftsmen of Harrisonburg, the very artisans who originally crafted these pieces more than eight decades ago. In all, about 400 pieces of furniture were refurbished.
Pull Up A Chair
The number of reading seats in the library has nearly doubled, from 800 to 1,445. The increased seating includes study carrels, reading tables and group study rooms. Many of the study areas feature Newport chairs like the one pictured above, made by Thos. Moser, which made 356 for the library. Thos. Moser also made arm chairs, benches, lounge chairs, and custom study and reading room tables for the library.
