Joplin Public Library

Joplin, Missouri

Designing a catalyst for the revitalization of an injured community

Following destruction from a devastating tornado, the city of Joplin received a federal grant and EPA funding to build a public library to use as a catalyst for redevelopment. Design Workshop was hired to provide the master planning, landscape architecture and community engagement expertise to help motivate the rebuilding of the community. The modern library features collaborative landscape elements including community gathering lawns and a lush reading grove, as well as multi-use connections to the main downtown corridor.

Joplin, Missouri was razed by one of the worst tornadoes in US History in 2011. Commercial, residential and public properties were left in various degrees of destruction; the southern part of the city was decimated along the 20th Street corridor. The new Joplin Public Library is the catalyst site for the 20th Street redevelopment corridor as envisioned in Joplin’s 2012 “Moving Forward Community Masterplan”. The site, on a primary intersection, represents a starting point for redevelopment directly adjacent to future mixed-use development. Design Workshop was hired to provide the master planning, landscape architecture and community engagement expertise for the library, helping to establish an integrated community center and basis of design for the broader community. The team designed a concept lush with trees and outdoor space that provides visitors with places to learn, teach and gather as a community.

Services Provided: Site Planning, Landscape Architecture, Stakeholder Engagement, Construction Observation, Signage & Branding

Client

City of Joplin