The new library was a significant component of Rhodes 2000 campus master plan, which celebrated the history and patterning of the Rhodes campus, while positioning the college for future generations of students, according to Jane Wright, president of Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company of Norfolk, VA, the authors of the campus master plan and the architects of record for the new library. “The overall design goal was to place the building to enrich opportunities for student and faculty interaction,†she explained. “During the master planning process, the selection of this site was reinforced by the opportunity to create a desired second campus entry and a new academic quadrangle. The siting of the library and the continued commitment to the Collegiate Gothic architecture as well as the use of stone are the most strategic physical decisions that the college will make in this century.â€
Following the initial planning, Hanbury Evans collaborated with Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott of Boston, MA, in the development of the library. “One of the challenges was to build this new library in the formal language consistent with the 'brand,' so to speak,†said Ralph Jackson, FAIA, lead architect for Shepley Bulfinch. “But, the institution recognizes the need to create spaces. It's very driven by technology. It needed to have rooms for small group studies and digital classrooms. It was about bringing all these things together, but still maintaining the character and architectural history of the campus.â€