" title="Juliane Huang"> Juliane Huang

Libraries. Cool.

About a week ago, I presented myself with a new goal.  One that likes the smell of study aides and number two pencils.

Having gorged myself to a near caffeinated coma on my neighborhood internet cafes, I was looking for some place bigger and quieter.  Also, some place that didn’t require a minimum purchase.

Drawn in by the flashy photos and promise of free wifi,  I found myself speeding down the 80 on a temperate Monday morning toward what I hoped to be my new  happy place.

I recognized the building instantly.  Poised on the apex of a small hill, the Hercules Public Library makes a powerful impression with two colossal glass walls which converge into a razor sharp corner that slices into the buttery Contra Costa air.  The deep, earthy red of the remaining exterior walls offer an amicable color balance to the cool frosted windows and slivers of stainless steel.

Admittedly, that is the most attractive angle of the building and one that has been photographed for the AIA and Architectural Record.

The much less impressive entrance may be forgiven for the library’s beautifully open and bright interior.  If the floor-to-ceiling windows weren’t enough, architects have also included an impeccably maintained light court in the center of the structure.

The furnishings are basic and predictably Ikea-like, but the seating plenty and the power outlets always available.  Book and video selection upon initial inspection seems acceptable for a relatively new library, though hopefully they will keep adding to their collection.  As always, noise and hormone levels are much lower when the kids are in school.

Hercules Public Library, I choose you.