Norwell Public Library / Oudens Ello Architecture

The recently completed Norwell Public Library is situated on a large, heavily wooded, wetland property, remote from the town’s commercial and civic centers. Unlike its urban and suburban counterparts which respond to their respective fabric, this building lacks the context of nearby buildings, but the natural beauty of the site provides ample inspiration for an appropriate architectural response. As public libraries are transforming from centers of information into centers of culture, this building was designed to be an accessible, approachable, and welcoming center of community life, engagement, enjoyment, and enrichment.