Ray Bragg thought he was dreaming. How else could he account for the sea of humanity that had gathered below him -- a line four people wide and at least a city-block long. He compared the feeling to being in a shopping mall just before Christmas rather than opening day at a county library.

When the numbers were tallied, some 8,000 people -- grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren, teachers, area professionals and more -- happily braved the lines to explore the vast nooks and crannies of the 94,000-square-foot Lewis Library and Technology Center in Fontana, Calif. Within the first month, 100,000 visitors had been accounted for. The library now boasts more than 200,000 members.

While the numbers surpassed Bragg’s wildest dreams, he admits the city pinned high hopes on the facility. Like other cities across the nation, Fontana’s downtown had been languishing, a victim of corporate and retail growth that had migrated toward the highway. As the city’s former director of redevelopment and special projects, he was part of a team seeking to transform downtown into a cultural, educational and civic hub, one that was easily accessible to residents throughout the entire city. The library was designed to serve as a catalyst for Fontana’s rebirth.

An initial plan called for a 30,000-square-foot library to replace the existing 13,000-square-foot facility. However, a careful study of anticipated population growth revealed the library should be at least 86,000-square-feet. A seamless collaboration was formed between the city, which owned and was building the library, and the county, which was staffing and operating it. “We then held focus group sessions at neighborhood meetings, service clubs and within the local school districts to help us determine what the community needed, what educators wanted,” Bragg says. 

“Having worked on libraries across the country, I can safely say that most library administrators come to a facility project with no idea of the mountains of decisions that have to be made,” says Anet Willingham, vice president of Heery International, the firm tasked with managing the program from award through construction. “What Ray and the City of Fontana understood was the importance of hiring consultants that had the expertise required to create this facility.”  

A Literal Masterpiece

The facility the city created is an edutainment masterpiece. Its exterior combines traditional elements of Spanish mission style with contemporary materials and features. RNL Design architect Kate Diamond’s creativity was the inspiration for the floral-themed Spanish tile featured throughout the library, in the courtyard, along the stairs, on furniture and shelving and even the bathroom walls. “Fontana was once a steel mill town,” adds RNL architect Ed Carfagno, AIA. “To pay tribute to that bygone era, we used metal screens to define the clock tower enclosure and front door façade.” 

To pay tribute to the environment as well as create a comfortable facility that entices members to stay, the team included LEED certification as a goal. “Initially, I was afraid the facility would cost more,” says Ray Bragg. “But I learned that we would, by design, create an environmentally sensitive facility that would create significant energy savings. 

The numbers speak for themselves. Eighty-seven percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills and recycled. Forty-five percent of the materials were purchased locally, and of those materials, 85 percent were harvested or extracted locally. The irrigation system saves more than 98,000 gallons of water per year while low-flow plumbing saves more than 212,000 gallons of water. Energy-efficient features will create a savings of $57,000. Forty fewer tons of carbon dioxide will be released into the air compared to a minimum code building. Three million dollars worth of recycled materials were built into the library.  

Visitors may not think about it, but the underground parking located beneath the library reduces the heat island effect and helps protect cars from the hot California sun. More immediately visible is the ample light that flows in from the skylights and storefront windows. “Quality of light is a key feature in a library,” Willingham says. “The windows have been treated with high-performance low-E glaze. RNL focused on design features that shaded the southwest and west sides of the building to prevent excess heat from filtering inside.” The facility also incorporated high-efficiency lighting with occupant control sensors and daylighting controls.

Well-planned siting lends itself to easy public transportation. “The library sits within a quarter of a mile from 10 bus stops and only half a mile from several residential neighborhoods and a rail station,” Willingham says.

Binding Embellishments

It doesn’t take visitors long to recognize this is no ordinary library. “We wanted to embellish the project with one-of-a-kind art pieces,” Carfagno says. The “text” rain located at the children’s section entry, for example, is an interactive video art piece by artist Camille Utterback that uses cameras to track human movement. It then allows letters to rain down over the captured human form’s outstretched arms, appearing as the name of a children’s book title on the life-size screen wall.

“We designed a magic orange grove in the children’s reading area to provide a unique series of reading spaces that speak to Fontana’s agricultural roots,” he says. Then there’s the NASCAR-like race track lighting and racing-inspired computer pods in the young adult section. Rainbows float gently across the furniture and grand hall thanks to a series of prism-glass inserts perfectly placed in the airy rotunda. “The effect grows more dramatic as the afternoon progresses,” Carfagno says.

No less dramatic are the programs the library has created. “Our goal is to move beyond the boundaries of traditional library programs to introduce people to the wonders of learning at many different levels,” says Fontana Regional Library Manager Leonard Hernandez.

The programming keeps patrons of all ages coming back for more. Baby boot camp, digital camera and video production classes, and teen video game programs with their own advisory programs have spurred continued interest. Non-English speakers find English classes and career counseling. Because the 330-seat auditorium affords access from both the courtyard and library, it functions easily for after-hours community events. School districts have applauded the facility for its ability to help them attract larger programs that benefit more students.

“This is so much more than bricks and mortar,” Bragg says of the facility that recently achieved LEED Gold. “The more we work with the school district, county and residents, the more we can create a destination that inspires learning and community today and well into the future.”