Missoula Public Library
A public project for Missoula County
About this project
The new 107,000-square-foot public library project for Missoula County cost $32 million and was completed in 2020. The four-story building, plus underground parking level, serves as a comprehensive community space for learning, gathering, creating and imagining.
MSR Design in association with A&E Design developed the concept for Eclipse Engineering to structurally synthesize. This building consists of 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 building’s many services 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 is also garnering international attention. MPL was awarded “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. The designers also won two AIA/ALA Library Building Awards in 2023.
Find a virtual tour of Missoula Public Library here on YouTube.
