Blairstown, New Jersey
Area: 16,900 sq. ft.

From the early 1950’s to 1997, “Memorial Hall” was Blair Academy’s http://www.blair.edu/ main library and auditorium.  With the recent construction of their new Performing Arts Center, the severely overcrowded library was able to expand in to the area vacated by the auditorium.

In achieving the design goals, the following were building modifications were completed:

The exterior of the building was repointed, an elevator was added to the interior, and a large portion of the second floor was removed to increase visual control.  A mezzanine was added in the volume of the old auditorium for stack space. A massive skylight was sculpted into the roof to bring daylight deep into the interior of the new public spaces. The existing entrance was extensively reworked and large openings were cut out into the back of the building to allow daylight into the new reading lounges. A new fire protection system was also installed. Memorial Hall today looks much the same as when originally constructed, however, its function has been adapted to serve the present day educational requirements.