Fayetteville Public Library has now seen its third expansion in 22 years due to the rapid growth of Fayetteville as the city has become a cultural hub in Arkansas. This 80,000 SF building has become more than just an ordinary library – it has become a multi-cultural building that serves as a library, incubator, innovation center, community center, and more.
A variety of technology-enhanced spaces are available to patrons, making the library a central hub of the community. The multi-purpose performing arts room is optimized for performers and viewers to be fully immersed in the show. This performing arts room is on par with a small Broadway theater with its theatrical, house, and event lighting that aids in setting the mood of the show. To make sure patrons outside of the theater aren’t disrupted by performances, NV5 acoustically treated the room to ensure it is soundproof. Performances are able to be streamed and uploaded to the library website instantly because of the full technical deck of equipment in the editing suite.
The community has access to the Innovation Center where they can be involved in a variety of activities. The center has a professional grade television and recording studio open to the public. A virtual reality room allows its users to experience things from gaming to virtually training truck drivers or pilots. The Innovation Center also has an electronic arts makerspace with a robotics lab, a video wall, and green screens that are linked to the virtual reality room.
Other technology-rich spaces include a crafts room, banquet room, 24-hour lobby, 30 study rooms, and five board rooms with acoustic clouds on the ceilings to absorb sound and acoustic curtains that block outside noise.
