The historic and iconic Slover Library in Norfolk, VA needed a 70,000 SF addition and 40,000 SF renovation to continue their mission serving residents of Hampton Roads. The new facility connects to the historic Seaboard Building which was built in 1900 with a glass atrium.

Slover Library in Norfolk, VA was housed in The Seabord, a 115-year-old building that was formerly a customs house. Now a striking juxtaposition of the new and the old (but renovated), Slover was expanded to include a new 7-story, 70,000 SF glass-walled addition and 40,000 SF of renovations to the adjacent Selden Arcade. Slover is considered the most technologically advanced library in the nation and created a national model for blending a historic building with the most up-to-date technology.

One of the biggest challenges was working on a very tight site. Because of the proximity of Plume Street as well as a parking garage and a 1930s building, the Selden Arcade, that adjoins the new addition we specified augered cast-in-place concrete pilings for the support of the structure to prevent vibrations from driven piles. There were few construction documents from the original Seaboard building, so constant investigation and communication with the design team was required as soon as construction began.

The result is an innovative community hub that stores records of the past while enabling the future. The Slover Library won a 2015 AIA/ALA Building Award and is LEED certified.