Application Filed for 1135 Powell Street in Chinatown, San Francisco

A project application has been filed for renovations of the Chinatown Public Library at 1135 Powell Street in Chinatown, San Francisco. The plan will include selective demolition of the original structure and portions of the 1995-era renovation to improve interior functionality. The San Francisco Public Library director is responsible for the plans.

The San Francisco Public Works Bureau of Architecture is overseeing the design and engineering. Visitors will enter through the ground-floor lobby and pass the community room toward the circulation desk and children’s section. The stairwell, to be moved directly across from the circulation desk, will rise up to the main floor, which includes the teen space, adult collection, and historic reading room.

Chinatown Public Library main floor renovations, illustration by San Francisco Public Works

Chinatown Public Library ground floor renovations, illustration by San Francisco Public Works

Along with interior circulation improvements, the whole structure will be upgraded with new mechanical, electrical, and fire protection systems to be installed.

The library is the same age as the Presidio Library, making it the newest of seven Carnegie libraries in San Francisco. The Italian Renaissance-style project opened in 1921 with a design by G. Albert Lansburgh. In a 1976 architectural field survey, city staff wrote that “this building is one of a set of similarly styled libraries throughout the city… the civic repetition and identification of such buildings add to their lustre.”

Chinatown Public Library cross-section, illustration by San Francisco Public Works

The estimated cost has yet to be shared for the plan. Construction is estimated to last around 24 months, and the team is aiming to achieve LEED Gold certification.

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