MIDLAND LIBRARY
A 30,000 sf renovation and addition provides public space and resources for residents to gather and thrive. The design weaves together the stories and lived experiences of Midland Library’s diverse East Multnomah County communities in a shared communal space.
PORTLAND, OR
Partners and Collaborators: Bora Architecture & Interiors (Architect of Record), PLACE Studio (Landscape Architecture)
CDA Team: CDA #1 (request anonymity), Bethlehem Daniel, Anabertha Alvarado Martinez, Anthony Deloney, Athena Rilatos, Dominique Garcia, Isa Ruelas, Jay Tang, Jess Smith-Carlock, Jenica Ocker, Marih Alyn-Claire, Miguel Rodriguez, Som Subedi, Sophie Garcia
Project Budget: $31M
Size: 24,000sf renovation; 6,000sf addition
Certifications: LEED Gold
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14 CDAs: 93% BIPOC, 14% Non-Binary, 29% Women, 21% Disabled
Fee Allocated: $2,500 stipend ea., ~$700 expense budget ea. Total: $45,000
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8/2021 - 10/2024
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02 Cease Implementation of Hostile Design
03 Abolist Carceral Spaces
04 Restructure Relationship to Power + Capital
“I am grateful to have worked with Colloqate Design on two of our public library projects, [Midland and Holgate], where they led community engagement efforts for both and worked on the design for [Midland]. Colloqate does their work intentionally and thoughtfully, and they put in the effort to really develop relationships with Community Design Advocates that are brought on.
The success of this program helped shape our community engagement approaches for our other library projects. The final design of Midland Library has strong, clear ties to the community stories and input that helped shape it. Colloqate is willing to question the status quo with open curiosity and will help propel an organization’s work forward toward more equitable community outcomes.”
The Midland Library serves as a crucial community hub for East Multnomah County, home to many communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and low-income residents. The project aims to create a public space that reflects the area's diverse cultural landscape while addressing historical underinvestment. The design process involved extensive community engagement through workshops, interviews, and art sessions, setting a new precedent for the Multnomah County Library system.
Gathering with CDA team in the old Midland library space.
The library’s design weaves together local stories, fostering a communal space that promotes collective strength. Key features include an outdoor plaza, collective seating, flexible program rooms, and interactive play areas. Warm wood tones, references to nature, and local art create a welcoming environment. The library also prioritizes well-being with amenities like a lactation room, sensory room, and quiet spaces.
Cultural collection displays and a Community Art Showcase celebrate the diverse histories of local residents, fostering connection and creativity. The design encourages engagement, supports mental and physical health, and provides a space where patrons can discover, share, and celebrate their collective history. This library becomes a vital space for community building, storytelling, and well-being, reflecting the rich cultural fabric of East Multnomah County.
Children's Area
Children's Area
The ceiling graphic is of the Big River (known as Columbia), connecting patrons with the defining, life-giving landscape context of this library and city.
Dedicated teen room, designed in collaboration with Your Street Your Voice program, founded by Jackie Santa Lucia. The cohort included 14 youth directly impacted by the library redesign.
The library system's first sensory room for neurodivergent patrons who may desire quiet sensory space to stay regulated.
Sensory room.
The new entry experience enables patrons to choose their own experience, interacting with the help desk or navigating through the collections in a curving, riparian-inspired flow.
A dedicated quiet reading room provides patrons a more traditionally silent environment to read or study, while enabling the majority of the library to match the energy of multigenerational visitors, including children and their caregivers.
