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Photo © Lara Swimmer/Esto.
portfolio image
Photo © Lara Swimmer/Esto.
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Photo © Lara Swimmer/Esto.

Missoula Public Library

The 107,000 sq. ft. public library for Missoula County was completed in 2020. The four-story building, plus underground parking level, serves as a community space for learning, gathering, creating, and imagining.

MSR Design served as the lead architect and interior design firm for the library in partnership with the architect of record, A&E Design. Eclipse Engineering, a Cushing Terrell Company, provided the structural design solutions.

The building’s structure consists of a cast-in-place concrete foundation with pad and spread footings, cast-in-place concrete columns, steel-framed roof system with a massive skylight, steel-framed grand stairs, metal-stud and aluminum exterior glazing and walls, and 18-inch-tall access floor system on all floors. The post-tensioned concrete floor at all levels supports 150 psf stack rooms and large open spans.

Generous south-facing windows allow patrons expansive views of the scenic Missoula Valley and a chance to soak up some sunshine year-round, while the library’s many service offerings include a children’s science lab, makerspace 3D printer, telescope, soundproofed study rooms, and an expansive top-floor conference hall for large events.

Besides being a vital community resource and distinctive feature of downtown Missoula, the Missoula Public Library has also garnered international attention. The library was named “Best New Library in the World” by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, with an award ceremony hosted in Dublin in summer 2022.

LOCATION
Missoula, MT

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