Oxford Public Library
Oxford, Michigan
The design direction chosen for Oxford Public Library reflects the vocabulary of buildings found in the rural countryside of Oakland County.
Two stories in height, the Reading Room serves as a major gathering area for library activities. The clerestory windows are glazed with holographic Spectralite glass which, on sunny days, creates geometric rainbows of color among the exposed timber trusses. Opposing ends of the room are enlivened with a custom designed reference desk to the north, and a monumental two-sided fireplace, constructed of local fieldstone, to the south. Beyond the freestanding fireplace is a pocket of lounge seating that allows a panoramic view of the wetlands and mature forest growth that thrives beyond the great bay window to the south.
