If you've been to my blog before, you will know I love public libraries. I spent two years driving around the country in a camper, and I would often work during the day from a random public library, so I've been to a bunch.
Now, if you search for the best libraries in the United States, you'll get a lot of gorgeous buildings, like the New York Public Libraries. You'll also get a lot of college and law libraries, which I argue shouldn't be included because they're not open to the public. In any case, these buildings are great, and while I do love architecture, my readers will know that I love gardens and plants and green spaces of all kinds even more.
That's why my favorite public library in the U.S. is the Downtown Public Library in Reno, Nevada.
This library is a jungle! According to the library website, the architect Hewitt Wells had wanted the library to be located in a park, and failing that, he decided to put the park in the library. My kind of guy.
There are plants and trees everywhere, to the point that it feels very private and spread out. You can see it's really not that big of a building, but there are small seating areas on staggered floor levels, giving it a sense of spaciousness more than if it were just a large open room. And with all the plants separating the areas visually, it felt cozy and inviting.
Walking in on the ground floor, there are plants hanging from above and rock gardens on all sides:
It was a strange indoor/outdoor space that left me wondering about drainage from watering the trees and insects and stuff. It's not often that you see such large botanical features indoors. And it's even more rare to see them up close and personal with expensive electronics equipment. I have to wonder what the humidity situation is in this building.
But more than wonder, I was impressed and in love. What a beautiful place to sit and get some work done! There are so many reasons that I love the incorporation of plants in this building. There's the environment that it creates, which is a lively energetic feel that is also peaceful and gives you privacy from other visitors.
Then there's also the environment is requires, which is to say, natural light. I hate libraries that have big fluorescent lights and feel stale like a hospital or SAT exam room. I usually sit near windows in public libraries so I can feel less cluttered, enjoy the sunlight, and maybe get a nice view. But this library has such a built in demand for natural light that I didn't have to worry about it. Yes, there were overhead lights, but also, the entire front wall where the entrance doors are is made of windows. There's not an interesting view outside, but the view inside makes up for it in strides.
I walked my way to the highest floor of the library and sat with an excellent view of the canopy of leaves.
I sat and very comfortably worked for a few hours. It was a great space, and if I found myself in Reno, I'd definitely work from there more often. After I finished, I had a quiet walk around to make sure I didn't miss anything. I loved that there were so many different kinds of plants. This library is truly a botanical garden in its own right.
The Downtown Reno Public Library won a landscaping award in the 60s when it was built, and it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places after only 45 years. (It's not a requirement per se that a building be 50 years old, but being newer, it has to meet a certain level of "exceptional importance.")
If you find yourself anywhere near Reno or Tahoe or Nevada in general, I highly suggest you pop in to see this gorgeous library. It's open every day from 10 am - 5 pm, and (obviously) it's free for anyone!