Renovation of the University of Baltimore's Library
Beginning in 2014, the Abell Foundation sponsored a design competition where six architectural firms competed for the chance to redesign and renovate the then-Langsdale Library, later renamed the Robert L. Bogomolny Library for UBalt's former president. The renovation objectives include a new organization of the interior to create a transparent, accessible environment; improvements to the building’s energy efficiency and sustainability; a transformed façade; and other exterior and interior improvements to enhance the facility’s relationship to the campus and the surrounding neighborhood. Following a series of presentations from the firms, Behnisch Architekten of Boston was selected as the competition’s winner.
Starting in the fall of 2016, the library underwent major renovations to provide modern study areas and office space for UBalt’s dynamic and evolving student population. When completed in fall of 2018, the 55,337 square-foot renovated building will transform from a traditional repository for books into a 21st-century information commons. The renovated library will apply forward-thinking technologies in information delivery and provide enhanced learning spaces by offering core services in one location. UBalt's library endeavors to be the physical and digital nexus for information access, learning, and knowledge creation at the University of Baltimore.
Read Library 2.0 , an e-newsletter covering the renovations to the building.
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Front of former langsdale Library
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Back of former langsdale Library
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rendering of newly renamed Robert L. Bogomolny Library - corner of maryland avenue and oliver street
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rendering of new Robert L. Bogomolny Library - view from oliver street
During the construction, library staff, computer workstations, collections and archives were relocated to the third and fourth floors of the H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons. Now, a move back to the renovated building is complete, and the University of Baltimore community is embracing this fantastic new space.
The Bogomolny Library is located at 1420 Maryland Ave. It was originally constructed in 1965, and named for one of the University's founders, R. Loran Langsdale, who served as president of the Board of Trustees for more than 25 years.