Beverly Hills Children’s Library

The Beverly Hills Children’s Library was transformed into a light-filled, child-friendly learning environment. Consisting of 16,585 SF, the interior renovation included demolition, new interiors with cabinets and millwork, and upgraded MEPF.

This large-scale overhaul of the library improved its configuration and internal organization and created more interior daylighting. The first phase of intervention prioritized the enhancement of particular use areas, including a central reading room, children’s story-time theater, family place (a “maker space” for toddlers), older children’s study area, and the “Enchanted Forest,” a room dedicated to the library’s collection of rare fairy tale books. The upgrades were explicitly geared toward three of its most important community constituencies: children, teens, and seniors.

The library is city-owned and operated and consists of an original 1960’s era building onto which Charles Moore, the world-renowned late 20th-century architect, added additional floor area in 1990. The 75,000 SF library contains extensive collections, a highly regarded research collection, and reading room, and one of the best fine arts collections in the Los Angeles area.