Hennebery Eddy is leading the design of Astoria Public Library. The project broke ground on September 3, 2024, with construction led by O’Brien. The full renovation project announcement from the City of Astoria is below.
Astoria Library Renovation Begins
Renovation will double usable building space, add media and meeting rooms, and expand children’s and teen areas
ASTORIA, Ore., Sept. 17, 2024 – Renovation of the Astoria Public Library in Oregon’s northwest coastal city has begun, marked with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Sept. 3. The renovation modernizes the building to meet 21st-century library requirements, including additional meeting rooms, a media room, expanded programming spaces, a larger children’s area, and improved accessibility. The $10.7M project is supported by an $8M bond measure passed with overwhelming voter support in November 2022. Construction is anticipated to conclude in Fall 2025.
The Astoria Library, built in 1967, was designed by Ebba Wicks Brown, the second licensed female architect in Oregon. The renovation retains the building’s refined midcentury Brutalist/International style while introducing daylight and opening the library to the streetscape. By expanding into the basement, which is visually connected to the main level by an open staircase, the project doubles the usable space in the building to 18,000 square feet and creates new social spaces, a gallery, and areas for kids and teenagers. There will also be space for archives, storage, and the Astoriana Room for historical and retrospective collections.
“Starting construction on this community-supported library renovation is an exciting milestone for the City of Astoria,” said Suzanne Harold, Astoria Library Director. “This renovation truly honors and embraces Astroria’s culture and history, while transforming the library into a modern, relevant space for the many Astorians who use our rich resources each day. From bond support to participation during the design process, the Astoria Library is truly by and for our entire community.”
Designed by Hennebery Eddy Architects and constructed by O’Brien, the renovation design reflects the input of the Astoria community provided through focus groups with teens, seniors, young families, advocates for houseless individuals, and the indigenous local Native community. When complete, the library will serve as a vibrant gathering place for Astoria’s diverse community.
During construction, the library will operate from a temporary location at 1512 Duane St. in downtown Astoria. Library patrons can also check out materials online and at the nearby Warrenton and Seaside libraries with their Astoria library cards. Building project updates can be found at astoria.gov/Building_Project_Info.aspx
More of Hennebery Eddy’s library design work can be found in our library project portfolio.
