Mortenson's Minneapolis Central Library Project Wins AIA Award

Minneapolis, MN - The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced that the Minneapolis Central Library was one of the eight recipients for the 2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards. Biennially, representatives from the AIA and the American Library Association (ALA) gather to celebrate the finest examples of library design by architects licensed in the U.S. The 2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards honor eight separate projects.

The award celebrates the finest examples of library design by architects licensed in the United States. Partnering with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Mortenson completed the facility in 2005. The Minneapolis Central Library houses a 2.4 million-item collection and features 353,000 square feet in five stories. The library is the core distribution center for all branch libraries within the Minneapolis Public Library System. 

The library is a vital civic landmark and cultural center for downtown Minneapolis. Its highly sustainable design, which arose from a collaborative public process, reinvigorates the idea of the grand urban library for new generations. With no interior load-bearing walls, the library will accommodate changes in technology and use of space. The roof is planted with drought-resistant ground cover, creating an 18,500-square-foot roof garden that slows storm water runoff and keeps the building cool. An under-floor ventilation system reduces cooling costs by 20 percent, and copious daylight and energy-efficient light fixtures help the building exceed Minnesota’s energy code requirements by 27 percent.