Des Moines Public Library

A centerpiece of the major redevelopment of Des Moines' Western Gateway Park, the new Des Moines Public Library is a brilliant architectural statement of a "green" urban revitalization project. The entire perimeter of this irregularly shaped structure features a skin of copper mesh laminated between 14 ft. tall panels of glass that changes the appearance of the building depending on the time of day. The copper mesh is practically invisible from the inside giving insiders a clear view of the surrounding park, yet it filters out 87% of UV rays thereby making the building energy efficient and protective of inside materials without need of any other sun shading device. During the daytime the building appears to have a soft copper glow from the outside, and at nighttime, when the building is lit from within, passerbys can clearly view the interior spaces. The library's roof is covered with special surfacing materials supporting self-seeding vegetation so that during Spring and Summer the building roof literally blooms and neatly blends into the park when seen from nearby highrises.

Over 7300 feet of M60 Direct suspended and recessed fixtures were installed throughout the project. The 1T5 and 1T5HO M60 fixtures are mostly laid out in long suspended runs. Viewing the interior spaces, one cannot help but be impressed with the clean, perfectly straight lines that the extruded aluminum, small profile M60 form provides.

The Des Moines Public Library, opened early in 2006, and by summer had already won AIA awards and DesignBuild Leaf awards for both architectural design, outstanding urban renewal, and innovative "green" construction.