Ehrlich Architects was awarded both the master planning and design commission for the new Westwood Branch Library, the third branch library for the City of Los Angeles designed by the firm.
Located near Westwood Village and the UCLA Campus, the library will include two levels of underground parking and 12,500 square feet of community-focused space. Due in part to its proximity to the University and affluent neighborhoods, it is one of the most politically charged projects within the library bond initiative.
The immediate neighborhood context is the quintessential Los Angeles mix; high-rises along Wilshire to the north, two- and three-story commercial uses along Westwood Boulevard to the west, and one and two-story residences to the south.
The design approach raises the primary library space to the second level, provides parking and the entry below, and frames views to the neighboring greenspace.
The site's tiny size, a factor of land values in this part of Los Angeles, posed special challenges regarding access and parking.