July 6, 2012

IIDA, ALA impress with library design awards

Earlier this week, the American Library Association and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) announced the honorees of their joint 2012 Library Interior Design Awards. The program recognizes public or academic libraries in one of nine different categories. One of the honorees–the McAllen Public Library in Texas, designed by Boultinghouse Simpson Architects of McAllen in association of Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle of Minneapolis–has earned extensive coverage of its own this week, and for good reason: It’s a repurposed Walmart big box store.

The transformation of the McAllen Public Library has rightfully been heralded in publications as diverse as the LA Times, Fast Company‘s Co.Exist, and Inhabitat, among others. While the McAllen Public Library is of special interest and significance, our review of all of the honorees revealed that they’re all worth celebrating in their own right–as beautiful, colorful, public works of design.

Click here to visit a full image gallery of the honorees, including those represented above, on the IIDA website.

Tags: Boultinghouse Simpson Architects, Co.Exist, Fast Company, IIDA, Inhabitat, LA Times, McAllen Public LIbrary, Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle
Posted in Award