Hunt Library Ready for Prime Time

The Hunt Library continues to generate buzz. Watch for a feature on the ultra-modern facility next week on Cool Spaces!, the new PBS series that promises to “profile some of this century’s most exciting architecture in the U.S.” The program airs locally at 9 p.m. Thursday, April 10, on UNC-TV.

Hosted by Boston architect and educator Stephen Chung, the nationally syndicated series focuses on presenting “cutting-edge, contemporary public buildings and spaces and the daring architects who push the boundaries of design and materials.”

Next week’s episode focuses on three libraries that have dramatically enhanced the cultural lives of their communities: the Hunt Library, the Seattle Central Library—listed by the American Institute of Architects as one of American’s 150 favorite buildings—and the South Mountain Community Library in Phoenix, celebrated for a bold design that encourages interaction between students and local residents.

Since the  Hunt Library opened last year, more than 300 media outlets have reported on its  innovative technologies and collaborative spaces, cementing its reputation as one of the top research libraries in the world. The library’s lead designer, Snøhetta, is known for its work on the National September 11 Memorial and Museum pavilion, the new look for Times Square in New York and the Golden State Warriors complex on the San Francisco waterfront. In 2012, Architecture Magazine ranked executive architects Pearce Brinkley Cease + Lee (now Clark Nexsen) as the15th best firm in the United States.

The Hunt Library recently received the coveted Stanford Prize for Innovation in Research Libraries in recognition of its creative integration of powerful technologies and inspiring design.