East Roswell Library Will Soon Open To Residents

Photo credit: Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System

Roswell and north Fulton County residents will soon have a new library they can patronize.

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will host a grand opening celebration of the East Roswell Library at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 20.

The new, 15,000-square-foot library for East Roswell is part of Phase I of the System’s Library Building Program. The library is located at 2301 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell.

KHAFRA Engineering Consultants, in association with Holzheimer Bolek Meehan Architects, provided design and engineering services for the new library. Ajax Building Corporation of Georgia provided construction management services on this project, and Heery/Russell, a joint venture, is the program management team.

The East Roswell Library’s design centers around a connection with its wooded surroundings creating a functional library space within a canopy of trees. The use of natural materials such as stone and wood combined with the large expanses of glass filter the boundary between the exterior and interior spaces of the library while providing views to patrons looking out from within the building.

A welcoming covered bridge entry leads visitors into the space where they are immediately presented with views through the building and into the natural landscape beyond. The community will enjoy and use its meeting room, study rooms and separate spaces for children and teens.

In November 2008, Fulton County voters overwhelmingly passed the Library Bond Referendum. The plan will greatly enhance all of the county’s libraries, and includes 8 new branch libraries: Alpharetta, East Roswell, Milton, Northwest Atlanta, Palmetto, southeast Atlanta, Metropolitan and Wolf Creek and two expansion projects: Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History and the South Fulton Library.

The Library Building Program plan maintains 34 libraries, the current number of libraries in the system, by eliminating leased spaces and its oldest libraries. Green building design and sustainability are priorities for these library building projects and the Library System expects to achieve LEED Silver on all of the Phase I projects.

An important part of each new library is its public art project. Through the Fulton County Art in Public Places Resolution, 1 percent of each building project budget goes toward the creation of public art.

For the East Roswell Library, artist Chris Condon was selected through a community-driven selection process, and has produced a series of wood and stone sculptures of woodland animals visitors will see throughout the library entitled, New Growth Forest.

Anyone who wishes to attend the event is asked to park in the front parking lot at East Roswell Park, which is at 9000 Fouts Road, and a shuttle will take attendees from this location to the ceremony; there is no parking available at the site the morning of the event.

For more information or to R.S.V.P., call 404-730-1977 or email [email protected].