Remaking a Modern Classic:

60 Years of Rinconada Library

The Palo Alto City Library invites the community to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Rinconada Library on Sunday, July 29 from 2-4 p.m.

The celebration will feature a presentation on the work of the library’s original designer, world-renowned architect Edward Durell Stone. In addition, Group 4 Architecture firm will discuss the challenges of renovating the classic library design to preserve Stone's vision while modernizing key functions and spaces.  

“We are excited to invite the community to celebrate this building that is an important example of mid-century modernism and a beloved resource,” said Library Director Monique le Conge Ziesenhenne. 

As part of the program, the Rinconada Library will have a specially-curated exhibit of the architectural works of Stone on display through August. Among Stone’s other designs in Palo Alto are the Civic Center and the Stanford Medical Center. 

The 60th anniversary coincides with the Palo Alto City Library's Summer Reading Program theme “re:Make Your Community".  The Library's celebration of the restoration and modernization of Rinconada Library perfectly exemplifies this theme. Group 4 Architecture’s renovation included work on four group study rooms, the Embarcadero program room, and a new lobby.  Building system upgrades included a ground source heat pump system, structural brace frames, radiant floor slab in the library and lobby additions, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and energy-efficient lighting and LED lighting. The work began in 2014 and was completed in 2015. 

For more information, click here.