The Orange County Library System is poised to begin an ambitious $18 million renovation at the flagship Orlando Public Library downtown in a couple of months.
According to reporting from Orlando Business Journal, the renovation project will include new front doors, lighting upgrades, sundry tech and equipment upgrades, and a particular focus on the first floor of the library to create “a more welcoming and engaging experience for everyone who visits.”
The plan is to drastically revamp the entry level to give it a more open feel. This renovation includes expansion and relocation of the Children’s library, new public meeting rooms, the Teen/Young Adult Library heading upstairs to the second floor, relocated book-display areas, and the aforementioned lighting and front-door upgrades.
More detailed renovation plans will be revealed on July 23, with construction expected to begin in September and take roughly two years to complete.
The Orlando Public Library building downtown, designed by Bauhaus-influenced architect John Johansen, has been open in all its Brutalist glory to the general public since the late 1960s. This striking exterior will for the most part, thankfully, remain unchanged.
