Hunt Library in “Top 100 Projects”

The James B. Hunt Jr. Library has taken its place among the country’s contemporary architectural icons. ArchDaily, the leading web magazine devoted to architecture and design, included the Snøhetta-designed building in its “Top 100 Projects” in the United States.

The list gathers the most visited buildings in the nation that appeal to “millions of architects, students, and journalists that seek the most important, inspiring works of American architecture.” The Hunt Library, which opened in January 2013, combines eye-catching design with sustainable infrastructure and advanced technology such as visualization spaces and the bookBot robotic book retrieval system.

Other notable buildings on the list include the new Whitney Museum of American Art at Gansevoort; the Union Station Bus Deck Pavilions in Washington, D.C.; the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust;, the Denver Art Museum; the Seattle Central Library; the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida; the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City; the Veer Towers in Las Vegas; the Winspear Opera House in Dallas; and Alice Tully Hall Lincoln Center in New York City.

Representatives from Snøhetta say the firm, “is honored that the James B. Hunt Jr. Library has been included in ArchDaily’s ‘Top 100 Projects’ in American architecture.”“ArchDaily is a valuable resource for millions of architects, students, and journalists, and we are happy to have been featured.” The firm, previously known for its work on projects like the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the expansion of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, served as lead designer, while Raleigh-based Pearce Brinkley Cease & Lee (now Clark Nexsen) served as executive architect.

The recognition prompted Patrick Deaton, NCSU Libraries Associate Director of Learning Spaces and Capital Management, to reflect upon what the Hunt Library has come to mean for the university. .

“Though it's been open for over three years, and already won several major awards, the James B. Hunt Jr. Library continues to be recognized for its innovative combination of stunning architecture, dynamic furniture, and state of the art technology and services,” Deaton says. “The building has become a powerful recruiting tool for students, faculty, and staff and a model for academic libraries.”