
The newly renovated David L. Rice Library at the
campus of the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN, features a
limestone and brick facade.
The David L. Rice Library, a new 155,000-square-foot academic facility at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, IN, is more than double the size of the original campus library, and it features a limestone and brick facade.
Woollen, Molzan and Partners, Inc. of Indianapolis, IN, served as the Design Architect for the project, while the Architect of Record was Hafer Associates from Evansville, IN. According to the architects, the initial phase of work was to renovate the existing 1971 library; however, after reviewing the program needs, budget and schedule, the campus leadership came to the conclusion to build new.

Carved panels were installed along the buildings
rotunda, and the panels were jointed from three or four pieces for a total size
of approximately 9- x 10-foot each.

The name of the library was intricately carved
into the limestone.
The limestone was used in 2- x 3-foot pieces at the top and bottom of the rotunda, as well as for window trimmings and the top sections of each part of the building. The standard buff limestone was used in both a smooth finish and a rock-face finish, according to the architects.

The “Schlechte Facade,” a limestone relief that
hangs 30 feet high on the rotunda of the new building, mirrors the Liberal Arts
Center located west of the library by using items depicting school supplies.

The architects wanted to provide a comfortable,
attractive environment for individual study as well as group collaborative
study, and to design a campus resource that is both the academic heart and
technical hub of the campus.

The new five-level library- is more than double
the size of the original campus library.
David L. Rice Library
University of Southern Indiana
Evansville, IN
Design Architect:Woollen, Molzan and
Partners, Indianapolis, INArchitect of Record:Hafer Associates, Evansville, IN
Stone Installer:Bartley & Perigo Masonry Contractors, Inc., Evansville, IN
Stone Supplier:Evans Limestone Co., Bedford, IN