Learning Center Marks First New West Point Building Since 1970s
WEST POINT, N.Y. — A new $62 million library and learning center at West Point is the first new building on the historic campus since 1972, according to planners.
The 141,000-square-foot Jefferson Hall-USMA Library and Learning Center, designed by STV with Holzman Moss Architecture, combines the 19th century military, gothic character of other buildings on campus with the functionality of a 21st century learning facility.
The new library brings the Center for Enhanced Perfor-mance, the Center for Teaching Excellence and the cadet library under one roof on the edge the campus’ plain — a large, open parade field.
“We sited the new building at the southeast corner of the historic plain to give it due prominence as a facility dedicated to nurturing intellect,” says Price Jepsen, STV project manager. “Its program reflects a changing learning environment, from a repository of books to a place where new, interactive instructional methods can be developed and the value of life-long education expressed.”
The facility features more than 1 million books, along with DVDs and CDs. The library has 900 individual study spaces, interactive learning centers for group study and classrooms to serve 4,400 cadets and faculty, according to designers. Wireless Internet connectivity is available throughout the building.
Connecting the new library architecturally to the other buildings was a challenge, according to designers.
“Because the plain is a significant part of this national historic landmark district, any building erected on it automatically qualifies for a statement of adverse effect from the New York State Historic Preservation Office,” says Malcolm Holzman, of Holzman Moss Architecture. “Designing a facility that reflects the spirit and values of the 21st-century Army and still honors the academy’s architectural virtue was imperative.”
Part of that imperative was reached with 130 tons of hand-tooled stone block mined from the same quarry as stone used for nearby structures. The stone envelopes the east and west towers that frame large arch-shaped windows.
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The building features a variety of study and learning spaces. |
Interior colors were selected to match cadet uniforms, and stripes and chevrons were incorporated into fixtures and finishes. The grand staircase in the central rotunda features the West Point crest in terrazzo.
The building received a bronze rating under the Army’s Spirit program, a green-design rating system that is the equivalent of LEED certification, according to planners.
“West Point’s new library and learning center is grounded architecturally and symbolically to its historic surroundings, yet also envisioned to provide new gateways for the pursuit of knowledge,” says George B. Forsythe, retired brigadier general, and former professor and vice dean for education.