Saint Louis
CitySide
St. Louis Front Page presents St. Louis CitySide, an overview of the City Government of Saint Louis. From time to time, we will take an indepth look at many of the projects in which the city is involved and how these projects will affect residents and visitors.
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Massive $70 Million Restoration on Central Library Moves Forward
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The elaborate molded plaster ceiling of the Art Room in Central Library, designed by Cass Gilbert and built in 1912, is being meticulously restored to its early Italian Rennaisance style.
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During a media tour, St. Louis Public Library Executive Director Waller McGuire stated that the marble floor in front of the main reference desk in the Great Hall was so worn that it had to be removed.
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Restoring History, the Renovation of Central Library
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS (SLFP.com), January 6, 2012 - Exactly one year ago on a bitter cold January morning, Waller McGuire, St. Louis Public Library executive director, led a media tour of the ongoing renovation of Central Library in downtown St. Louis.
Over the noise of construction crews working in the background, McGuire spoke about the massive $70 million undertaking by the St. Louis Public Library to restore and renew the century-old Central Library, designed by Cass Gilbert. He noted that the demolition uncovered many unique structural elements and a few surprises.
Today's hardhat tour of Central Library, with temperatures in the sixties, took place during an event to commemorating the original opening of Central Library on January 6, 1912.
Following an announcement of a $100,000 gift from The Trio Foundation of St. Louis to the Library Foundation's Central To Your World capital campaign and the reading of a proclamation from the Mayor's office, McGuire gave an update on the dramatic progress of the restoration of the building's interior.
The project includes a new, three-story atrium and accessible entrance facing Lucas Park, a greatly enlarged children's library and new elevators and full restoration of the fine arts room and great hall.
"This is the Fine Arts room where all photos and paintings were kept. It's also where all the information about architecture was stored," stated McGuire at the beginning of the tour.
Behind McGuire, scaffolding soared upwards to an elaborate ceiling two stories above the marble floors in the Art Room, where workers were restoring the original decorative molded plaster.
He revealed that the ceiling had been jackhammered out in the early fifties in order to put in fluorescent lights. The ceiling is being meticulously restored to its early Italian Rennaisance style adapted from the church of La Badia, built in 1285, in Florence, Italy.
The Library's massive 3.5 million items of the 4.7 million-piece collection were moved off-site in 2011 to make way for the construction team. In the interim period, the St. Louis Public Library is taking an opportunity to expand the digitization of major portions of its collection. See archived story: Massive $70 Million Restoration on Central Library Moves Forward
When the new Central Library reopens in November, 2012, patrons will enjoy access to many more collections. The Library will feature an impressive 65 percent increase in public space, state-of-the-art technology, a cafe, new displays and a 250-seat auditorium carved out of the space that originally housed the building's coal bin.
For information about supporting the Library's campaign, please contact the St. Louis Public Library Foundation at 314-539-0359.
The library is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its main library with daylong events, Saturday, January 7, at 13 branch libraries. See details: Not Just for Kids.
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