One of Chicago’s treasured landmarks, the Newberry Library is a world-renowned research library, offering an extraordinary collection of rare books, maps, music, and manuscripts.

ABA guided the library’s significant renovations and long-range space plan. The project showcases the library’s collections, exhibitions, and programs. The historic first floor is restored and offers an improved and accessible visitor orientation area, a bookstore, and program spaces. Updated galleries with new cases, lighting, graphics, and interpretive content expand resources for exhibitions. Throughout the project area, the collections are more visibly shared with visitors. Three new seminar spaces support the Newberry’s public scholarly programs. The renovation supports the library’s goals to be innovative, accessible, and engaging — showcasing its collections and programs with gusto.

The Newberry Library was honored with an AIA Illinois Crombie Taylor Honor Award for outstanding preservation and renovation of a historic building and a Chicago Building Congress Renovation and Adaptive Reuse Award.

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Project Size: 25,000 sf

Project Team: Ann M. Beha FAIA, Steven Gerrard AIA, Ian Miller AIA, Ric Panciera AIA, Ashley Merchant AIA, George Faber AIA, Carl Damas, Amit Oza, Stacey Woodworth, Maria Tillakos (ABA); Thornton Tomasetti (Structural); dbHMS (MEP); Wolff Landscape Architecture (Landscape); Schuler Shook (Lighting); Thirst (Environmental Graphics); Jensen Hughes (Code / Security); Wil-Spec (Specifications); Brush Architects (Building Documentation); Bulley & Andrews (Construction Manager); AVA Consultants (Owner’s Project Manager); Tom Rossiter (Photography)