A good look for new library

Cary Siegfried, Arlington’s library director, summed up City Council reaction to revamped downtown library exterior designs on Tuesday: “I think it’s a hands-down hit.”

That has to be very encouraging for Siegfried. Council members wrinkled their noses at the first drawings she showed them in June.

The new look is indeed a hit — bold and open, with extensive trellis-style grillwork at the roofline.

As Siegfried said, the new look is “much stronger,” whereas council members in June called the first drawings “sterile” and “not inviting.”

The council members liked the interior plans shown to them in June, so Siegfried and the architects didn’t have to start from scratch.

Still, the groundbreaking, which had been scheduled for October, has been pushed to February, with completion set for October 2017.

The $29 million project next to City Hall replaces the former downtown library nearby, which has been demolished to make room for a mixed-use development.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 5:56 PM with the headline "A good look for new library."