New Berlin Public Library

New Berlin, WI

The New Berlin Public Library approached PRA with a need for a warm and welcoming community space that would serve a diverse set of users and act as a catalyst to change in the City. To meet this challenge, we designed a new 50,000 sq. ft. library that features a variety of spaces that serves multiple community needs.

On the edge of a large natural area, this project is designed to look as though it “belongs on the prairie.” The focal point of the new prairie-style library is the two-story atrium space. This space serves to orient visitors to the variety of functions within the building and features warm-toned slate floors and extensive maple and oak millwork. Other notable features of the New Berlin Public Library includes a community meeting room for 150, a friends store, patron access to after-hours materials lockers, a drive-up service window, a children’s programming area, a business resource area, a computer lab, a local history room, and quiet reading areas.

Special attention was paid to integrated storage and efficient distribution of collections. Technology has been integrated into the building design to support wireless telephones, wireless networking, patron self-checkout, campus-wide door controls and video cameras, and support for high-bandwidth multi-media communication. Many of these technologies were “firsts” in the area. In fact, the New Berlin Public Library is the first mid-west installation of a sophisticated automated RFID materials check-in and sorting system.