Lafayette College
David Bishop Skillman Library

The renovation and expansion of the Skillman Library transforms a circa 1964 building into a vibrant center for social and intellectual life at Lafayette College. A glass curtainwall addition replaces the heavy masonry front façade of the original building, creating a new connection with the College green and a new campus presence for the Library. A second addition on the back of the building is clad with copper and the same fieldstone used on surrounding historic buildings.

Inside, a reconceived information services core is placed at the center of the building, surrounded by group study, special events, and informal meeting spaces. A gallery serves as a changing exhibition venue for the Library’s special collections. A café facing the College green provides a social setting for students and faculty.  A new skylit glass and stone staircase, inserted at the seam of the new and original buildings, connects all levels of the Library, provided new wayfinding clarity for the Library.