Open for only two-and-a-half months, the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library is already receiving statewide recognition.
Last week, the library received the 2009 James B. Recchie Design Award for its recent revamp. Given annually, the award focuses on promoting historic preservation and producing quality urban design in central Ohio.

“This is an exceptional project from an architectural and urban design standpoint,” said Nancy Recchie, a historic preservation specialist, in a news article at columbuslandmarks.org. “The jury also noted that the building was a bold integration of the historic building with a new contemporary design, executed in the highest quality materials and attention to detail.”

Recchie, sister of the late James Recchie for whom the award was named, favored the return of the library’s Main Reading Room as a focal point in the building, as well as the “elegant and flexible” West Reading Room.

“The building is physically and symbolically at the center of campus,” she said in an e-mail. “The views of the campus and the city from the inside of the library enliven the spaces and make them comfortable, functional and beautiful.”

The library opened on Aug. 3 and took nearly three years of renovation and more than $109 million to complete.

Ryan Langhurst, one of two library representatives dedicated to working on all aspects of the renovation project, enjoyed hearing the news.

“We thought there was excellent competition for this award demonstrated by the other finalists, so we were extremely honored when we were selected as the recipient,” he said in an e-mail. “The Thompson Library has been transformed from a tired old building into a vibrant state-of-the-art facility for learning and research.”

Langhurst was happy to win the award, but wants focus to remain on the main goals of the library.

“When we think about our facilities goals, we primarily think about improving the quality of the user experience in library spaces,” he said. “If awards come with those efforts, then we are certainly pleased about that too.”