Orangeburg County Library + Conference Center

Orangeburg, South Carolina

The previous main branch for Orangeburg County Library no longer met the growing community needs. Situated a few blocks away, a new site was identified for its closer proximity to downtown and two local universities – Claflin University and SC State University. Originally home to a Piggly Wiggly grocery store, the site design approach initially attempted to repurpose the abandoned grocery store structure, however, only the foundation was structurally suitable for reuse. The 20,000 SF grocery store footprint was ultimately incorporated into the overall 47,000 SF footprint that extends towards Russell Street. A significant grade change between the former grocery store and the street level presented a unique design challenge for the building program. The final design strategy separates the program into three zones—the library, community spaces, and conferencing space—all connected by a terraced gallery.

PROJECT COMPLETION

2021

AWARDS

2023 Award Winner | IIDA Carolinas Chapter
2022 Merit Award | AIA Aspire – South Atlantic Region
2022 Honor Award | AIA South Carolina
2022 Honor Award | AIA Columbia

PHOTOGRAPHY

Keith Isaacs

DRAWINGS / ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

SIMILAR PROJECTS