The 18,000 sf Vickery Park Branch Library is located in a dynamic, multi-cultural neighborhood in north Dallas. The DSGN design fulfills the needs of the 21st-century by creating a versatile, welcoming community hub, with a variety of offerings — classroom, job training, and town plaza for its vibrant community, as well as a source for books, music, video and web access.

The library is situated in a tree-filled plaza, where it responds to context by extending to both edges of the block, connected with pedestrian paths to nearby schools and transit stops. With native landscaping and playground, the plaza greets visitors and encourages interaction. An outdoor performance space takes advantage of topography and provides an ideal location for community events.

The interior stresses flexibility, both for the present and the future. Built-in shelving and reading nooks along the perimeter provide private areas for reading and study, while brightly colored classroom “pods” of varying sizes provide meeting and classroom spaces. The column-free overall space remains open and adaptable to studying, reading or other activities. A children’s area is safely located at one end, and features a mural indicating the home countries of many of the users.