Entries by Studio – The Phil Freelon Design Competition

Filter by Studio

Los Angeles

1st Place

Nest

NEST is a laboratory of creativity that utilizes the existing library as a font of knowledge and inspiration while blurring the borders between city and library, public and civic. It is an idea incubator serving both human and artificial intelligences.

Austin

San Francisco

2nd Place

Unbound Plazas

Harshika Seth, Ravi Chandar, Alay Thakrar, Dhruv Vairagi

A repository of shared knowledge through human connection

Boston

3rd Place

For The Makers of Memory

Adam Liu, Stephen Marinelli

A library measured in the value of experiential wealth with users authoring their personal legacies. From collection to connection to reflection.

Bainbridge Island

Merit Award

ALL! A Living Library

Galen Carlson, Kishore Kandasamy, Josh Fisher, Aayushi Mody

Rather than opting for demolition, we advocate for the adaptive reuse of the existing San Francisco Main Library building – creating a space that eConnects, disConnects, and reConnects ALL users – thereby extending the lifespan and setting a precedent for sustainable practices in library design globally.

Vancouver

Merit Award

Decentralized Horizons

Neal Li, Abubakr Bajaman, Chung Fai Lam

In response to urban challenges and changing community needs, our project reimagines libraries for 2049 in San Francisco through decentralized access and multi-temporal typologies, fostering dynamic, inclusive community hubs adaptable to evolving contexts.

Los Angeles

Merit Award

Libraries in Motion

Nick Mason, Yasmeen Barakat, Liona Avery, Sarah Fleming

Libraries in Motion is an equitable framework for accessing information. Our design expands the library’s reach into the community by activating the neighboring plazas, and integrating its resources with the public transit system.

Chicago

Shortlist

Agri•theca

Matthew Lewis, Phil Tu, David Kofford

Agri•theca reimagines the library as a space which acts as an archive of knowledge regarding food; a bridge to bring people back into awareness of the food they eat; a place of education for all things food; a space that fosters human connections, as well as a space to exchange knowledge and history regarding food; an incubator for innovation regarding food production; and even as a source of agriculture in its own right.

Atlanta

North Carolina

Shortlist

AIION

Hala El Khorazaty, Ike Lowry, Ping Wong

AI-Ion: Exploring Minds, Connecting Worlds
A space that supports cognitive science, adaptive learning and neurodiversity while also creating a hub for exploration, connection, and collaboration in an ever-expanding universe of knowledge and ideas.

Chicago

Shortlist

Branching Out

Giovana Geluda, Davey Friday, Vince Lee, Elizabeth Cisneros Tlaxcala

“Branching Out” revolutionizes the idea of a civic library by expanding its functions beyond the walls of a traditional building, seamlessly integrating it into the urban fabric as interconnected hubs of empowerment and education.

San Francisco

Shortlist

Community Catalyst Core

Sharvari Raje, Regina Porter-Jordan

Community Catalyst Core reimagines the library as a dynamic, district-scale ecosystem, leveraging a network of versatile pods to meet the community’s diverse needs and support disaster resilience and recovery.

Atlanta

Shortlist

Compass

Frida Fox, Kelsey Mitchell, Kaiye Shinkaiye, Jordana Villagomez

In the ever-changing landscape of San Francisco, this library will stand as a compass guiding individuals towards a community-focused way of life. The inclusive care, inspired learning and communal play found in this space inspires infinite imagination and facilitates the social shift towards a sustainable, human-centered society.

Dar Pune

Shortlist

Eons Apart: A Journey Through Ages!

Mansi Upadhyay, Pranita Chavan, Prarthana Parate, Vishwanath Maheshvarane

The Eons Apart stands as a testament to the passage of time and the evolution of knowledge, bridging the gap between the past, present, and future. Carved from the very bedrock of our history, the library’s facade is a striking fusion of tradition and innovation.

London

Portland Design

Shortlist

Integrated Urban Library

Ivan Hewitt, Yuxuan Sun, Veronika Khasapova

In 2049, societal separation will be a major issue, driven by factors like institutional boundaries, class divisions, technological advancement, and the rampant spread of misinformation. Our library becomes a vibrant hub where people from all backgrounds come together to learn, connect, and create positive change.

Calgary

Shortlist

Living Library

Rebecca Choi, Caitlin Copeland, Angelina Caixeiro

Living Library invites the community to collect, connect, and cultivate their shared knowledge and individual stories around a flexible and adaptable framework for curiosity; it empowers the collective to imagine and shape their futures together.

San Francisco

Shortlist

Mending Library

Melanie Turner, Helen Schneider, Oblio Jenkins

Broken objects are not inherently worthless. Their brokenness and act of repairing can be seen as a part of their history and beauty.

Shanghai

Shortlist

Montaña, the Library Ecologies

Zhenyi Zhou, Chen Ding, Tianyu Kan

Montaña, known as the Library Ecologies, surpasses conventional library design limitations by curating a lively assortment of environments promoting public space, social unity, and technological progress. Montaña prioritizes open design and sustainability at its core.

Vancouver

Shortlist

Palimpsest

Ricardo Espinoza, Janna Fahmy, Fiona Lam, Summer Liu

A library for the safeguarding of inherited teaching and knowledge-sharing techniques, demonstrating their timelessness in the digital age.

Dar Khobar

Shortlist

The Library of Utopia

Mohammed Alghamdi, Fatima Almathal, Layan Alfayez, Turki AlJandal

Designing a City-Wide, Technologically Integrated Library System for Enhanced Community Education and Intellectual Growth

Shanghai

Shortlist

To Stay Opened, To Be Occupied

Shiyin Zeng, Haoyuan Wang, Chloe Hou, Zimeng Ma

“To Stay Open, To Be Occupied” imagines 2049 San Francisco Public Library as a new cultural marketplace integrating political, economic and art scenes on the urban block. By reshaping the Fulton Plaza and opening up building’s monolithic façade, the proposal enables the library to host diverse workshops, programs, and fairs, strengthening its media presence in the city.

Dar Dubai

Dar Pune

@Terabyte

Joshna Daniel, Farzeen Sahiar, Sweta Haldar, Shivam Ojha

We have Asian Art Museum and San Francisco Library on either sides of Fulton Plaza. To integrate the existing buildings and infusing a new aesthetic feel to the whole space, connection is provided by introducing a circular digital board showcasing the activities, info, events etc. through revolving text.

New York

A Learning Machine: The Library of Experiences

Benita Chen, Dreama Lin, Zhen Li

The proposed library typology operates as an evolving learning machine, continually expanding its open-source database and generating experiences and knowledge.

Dar Pune

Being Responsible Ancestors

Prajwal Kumar, Abhiram Nair, Urmisha Shetty, Akshay Gote

Being Responsible Ancestors is a project that repurposes libraries into deployable pods, fostering community engagement, collaboration, and knowledge preservation. Integrating into a global network, these pods decentralize the library’s purpose, preserving San Francisco’s knowledge, ethnicity, and culture for posterity.

North Carolina

Beyond Boundaries: Libraries Redefining Knowledge Access

Karina Papazian, Allison Trittschuh, Maria Fernandez Alvarez, Ok Bun Lee

The existing library is torn down the middle and opened up to the public plaza in order to invite, collaborate, and break through the mold of how knowledge can be shared and how people can interact to better understand each other.

Dar Pune

Biophilic Bibliotheca

Ranjan Lohia, Aakash Godse, Devansh Thapa, Shivani Jaiswal

Biophilic Bibliotheca describes an inclusive library of the future, giving space to every stratum of the diverse society in San Francisco. It is ready to adapt as per society, climate and economy while being static to hold societal values.

Dar Cairo

Book Insider

Ahmed Nagaty, Amr Mohamed

The 2049 library is an interactive linkage shaped regarding the user need, as the society would have the opportunity to enter inside a book seeing the heritage and knowledge through new technology.

Dar Pune

CONNECT – The Experiential Library

Iti Vijayvergiya, Chinmay Pendse, Rohan Anand, Vivek Manoj

The Experiential Library, where connections flourish, ideas thrive, and inspiration knows no bounds.

Dar Beirut

Connection to Collection

Rayan Dghaim, Lynn Salloukh, Layal Rmeih

Inspired by the San Francisco library, a central hub is created to unite individuals with shared interests, seamlessly connected via technology for knowledge exchange, embracing the concept of “Connection to Collection”.

Denver

Convergence of Dispersion

Thiago Silvino, Ryan Kelly, Gwendoline Albright N., Michael Honyak

Fulfilling diverse evolving needs through boundary dissolution.

Dar Pune

Delve to Develop: Going Back is The Future

Vigneshwara Aditan N, Jayabharathi Raja

With the modern pace, a transformative vision is being driven by evolving new learning spaces that prioritize addressing the societal challenges of individuals or organizations to align with technological interventions.

Boston

Durham

DREAMcache(r)

Colin Drumwright, Chelsea Davis, Sea Tong Veng, Weiqing Yu

We propose that offering San Franciscans, and eventually the entire human race, the space to instill possibility for their own life without having to reconcile the inequities that keep them from dreaming in the first place is the key to seeing a future that protects the right to exist and the will to live.

Dallas

EcoLibrium

Reed Strawn, JD Meyers

EcoLibrium, the San Francisco Humanities Pavilion, weaves environments together with a unique connection to nature through the architectural innovation of fog harvesting that empowers individual sustainability and promotes civic and social literacy.

Chicago

Ecosystem Archival

Laszlo Andrasi, Jason Pieper, Nico Hsu, Natalie Salk

In 2049, the San Francisco Public Library, Ecosystem Archival, opens as the world’s first planetary archive with a mission to establish a global network of ecosystem catalogues, aiming to preserve and restore natural environments.

Dar Cairo

Guardians of Reality

Adham El-Shanshoury, Farah Hatata, David Berty, Salma El-Toukhy

In a world where lines between the virtual and the physical become blurry, the libraries stand as the cure for confusion. They have become the Guardians of Reality.

Dar Cairo

Heritage Horizon

Ahmed Mohamed, Mostafa El-Bessy, Omar Safwat

Recognizing that future meetings are likely to occur online or within the METAVERSE, we chose to repurpose this area into an interactive space. Our intention is to host activities that foster interaction and bring together individuals from diverse cultures.

Dar Cairo

Inevitable Dispersal

Michael Hanna, Ziad Marei

Transforming the library from a destination to a concept.

Dar Pune

Learning from San Francisco

Kevin Dsouza, Nikita Sisodia, Lubdha Kasekar, Anita Sharma

Learning From San Francisco Is a take on the Famous Book and Zeitgeist “Learning From Las Vegas ” By Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. In Learning From San Francisco, we wish to learn from the city and predict its future growth.

Seattle

Libertas per Liber

Matt Seager, Valeria Masciotti, Carmen Trujillo, Sonata Caric

The library of 2049 is the last stand for free discourse and information exchange among a world of political pressure and commercial power. The library counters city hall and elevates the people of San Francisco.

Dar Pune

Libraries of 2049: Anchors in the Digital Realm

Parnika Goyal, Vishal Dinde, Aravind Palanisamy

Integrating the architectural legacy of the San Francisco Library, we envision to preserve the cultural identity of the building while reinvigorating it as a community anchor by adding inviting spaces, integrating technology and fostering human connections.

Dar Cairo

Library 5.0

Mary Samir Mahfouz, Joseph Wassef Farid Zaki, Noha Galal El-Attar, Lina Nagib

Welcome home, where every heart finds solace, every mind finds sanctuary, and every soul finds belonging. Welcome to the library, where the world opens its arms to embrace you as its own.

Houston

Library of Experiences

Tim Uzoigwe, Travis Kalina, Morgan Velez

The significance of physical social connections is poised to become more crucial for human well-being and development in an era dominated by digital interactions. The library allows the community to “check out” physical experiences and contribute to the creation of local culture.

Minneapolis

Washington DC

LIBROAM

Anne-Philippe Kakou, Shuang Liang, Liwen Shi, Veronica Hernandez

Imagine 2049, where libraries have transcended their traditional forms to emerge as something new—a symbol of strength in uncertain times, serving as a unifying force in a rapidly changing world.

Dar Cairo

Lit Blast

Barbara Hennawi, Nouran EzzEldin, Amr Hatem, Nadia Zamel

The library of harmony is inspired by the paradigm changing in technology while preserving the heritage, exploding the traditional (form) from inside causing the form to be elevated from the ground and the effect of explosion is following up not only is reflected on the form but in the function of the library which contains different zones.

Sao Paulo

Liv.ry

Isabela Granado, Izabella Queiroz, Flavio Salles

With a program based on 5 pillars: education, health, culture, leisure, and assistance, the Liv.ry is a civic space for social engagement, and information sovereignty. With rigorous human curation, it is a place where technology meets humanity and nature: it is a refuge and a shelter of knowledge and civilization.

Sao Paulo

Living Library

Bruno Bruno Faraco D’Aprile, Amanda Paiosin, Renan Bussi, Fernando Holanda

The future library is a place that encourages presence, engagement, a pause, and a profound appreciation for our shared humanity. It is not limited to an enclosure space, it transcended the time and physical barriers to embrace the community.

Los Angeles

LooooP

Yixuan Cai, Deshun Liu, Kazuaki Kojima

We designed the bridge to connect the San Francisco Main Public Library and the Asian Art Museum. It creates a new library typology and quality public space by breaking the traditional boundary defined by fixed functions in public cultural facilities.

Dar Pune

My Library

Karthick Muthumalai, Ranjit Nazirkar, Astle James, Sudarshana pandian

My city, my society, my knowledge, “- MY LIBRARY-“

Chicago

PYR Chicago

OASIS

Jane Katwai, Tina Khaunte, Shilpa Pandey, Lupe Patino

A wellness library envisions a future where libraries are perceived as more than an information and resource center, but as an innovative, active and safe space for people to experience, gather, get inspiration and intellectual awareness, in making choices towards a more successful existence.

Chicago

Orbiters

Alli Gerardot, Madelaine Murray

In response to the overwhelming dominance of the digital realm in daily life, The San Francisco Public Library has rejected digital inhabitation and deployed The Orbiters – a series of micro-libraries that serve as tangible hubs of sensory, tactile, and human experiences.

Dar Cairo

OVERHAUL

Ahmed Zaki, Mahmoud Emam, Ali Shahin, Benyamen Seluanes

Libraries continue to adapt to changing needs, incorporating emerging technologies, expanding digital collections, and serving as community hubs for education, research, and cultural activities.

Houston

Pillars of Knowledge

Daniel Cano, Enrique Macias

Pillars of Knowledge is a virus or digital mycelium that infects the city and urban context, spreading clean reliable data and knowledge to users throughout San Francisco and the ultimately the world.

Dar Beirut

POD49

Mario Samra, Sara Makki

Ingeniously designed to cater to the needs of tech-savvy individuals and germaphobes, POD49 redefines the library experience, providing a haven for those seeking both solitude and a connection to the vibrant library atmosphere.

Sao Paulo

R U HERE?

Breno Veiga, Fernando Longhi, Gustavo Teixeira, Isabella Gasparini

The library of the future weaves through Fulton Plaza, paying homage to San Francisco rich history, symbolizing not only the physical connection of the present but also the intertwining threads with the city’s past and future — a reminder that every individual and their story contributes to the vibrant mosaic of the city.

Dar Beirut

Read. Engage. Practice.

Elias Chamoun, Farah Oueidat, Yara Sleem, Ibrahim Dghaim

The future civic library features a deconstructed pavilion with an exhibition space facing the street and glass panels mirroring the library’s structure, promoting a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. The intervention includes a space designed for gathering groups, fostering community engagement through idea exchange and discussions.

Houston

Recollectorium

Joe Wilfong, Dakota Cooley, Corey Phelps, Tyler Westry

The Recollectorium is an institution established in San Francisco to preserve and share the memories of humans once the introduction of Artificial Intelligence erodes trust in the historical record.

Denver

RECURSION

Paige Hawthorne, Tate Deluccia, Dana Shores

The Civic Library transforms into a dynamic, self-renewing ecosystem, actively promoting recursion through continuous learning, regenerative practices, and global equity. Celebrating the use of natural resources and diversity, it contributes to a circular economy while fostering the perpetual advancement of opportunities for all.

Dar Pune

Reinforcing the Roots of Humanity

Pratik Patel, Apurva Sharma, Megha Bharti, Soundarya Shinde

Our deliberate initiative seeks to enrich humanity beyond the pursuit of a superficially improved future, aiming for an authentically fitting one. At the core of our design philosophy is the elevation of intangibles—Knowledge, Emotions, and Experiences—brought to life through tangible interventions.

Dar Pune

Satellibe – Plug in Library Modules

Trupti Thandaveswaran, Misha Jose, Amith Krishnan, Bhagyashree Girgaonkar

With immersive technology, sustainable features, and a vibrant cultural celebration, Satellibe transforms the Main Public Library neighborhood into a beacon of creativity and inspiration, redefining the concept of a library in the heart of the city.

Atlanta

Seeking Truth in an Age of Misinformation

Kathryn Moyers, Christian Fraser, Chencheng He, Daniel Gomez

Seeking truth in an age of misinformation by expanding the human experience through civic design interventions in search of collective truth in an increasingly blurred reality.