Holgate Library Ribbon Cutting: Opening a Library Designed to Reflect Diverse Communities
July, 2024
After an event-filled weekend in Portland, Oregon, the Holgate Library is officially open! Grand opening celebrations featured community-centered activities and performances derived from a variety of heritage and backgrounds. The overarching theme of ‘Building Belonging’ emphasized a design approach that reflects the diverse community the library serves.
The Otak team, led by Mike Day, bond program manager, and Senior Project Coordinator Judith Moses was on-hand for the occasion along with leaders and the broader community to celebrate the opening of the first new library building in the county in over a decade.
About the Holgate Library Project
As just one piece of the broader $38 million Multnomah County Bond Program, Holgate Library represents the county’s most energy efficient library ever built. Covering 21,000-square feet, the facility triples the space of the 1971 building.
In making the most of the new space, an extensive public outreach program – including focus groups, public meetings, surveys, and workshops among other approaches – ensured the library’s design represented diverse community members. This effort led to design details such as signage in multiple languages, specific spaces for children and teens, and new art through a partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council and the Portland Street Art Alliance. Interior and exterior murals and mosaics are featured, with color and pattern design choices that were voted on by the public.
A combination of added space and technology upgrades make this a modern and flexible facility that will benefit the community for years to come. Otak is proud to serve the Multnomah County community as owner representative in this wide-reaching effort to improve every library across the county. For more information on the Holgate Library project and Multnomah County Library’s initiatives, visit their website at www.multcolib.org.
