A few weeks ago, the Portola Branch Library open in a new location:Portola Branch Library at 380 Bacon St. at Goettingen
The 6,300-square-foot space occupies a site acquired from the San Francisco Unified School District on a corner of the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School facility. The light and airy new branch features a new, view garden, an expanded children’s section that will be able to accommodate school visits, a designated teen space and a program room that will allow after-hours access for the community. The branch also includes new furniture and shelving, an expanded collection of books, CDs, DVDS and other materials, a prominent reading area, more computers, Wi-Fi access to the Internet and more functional staff work spaces.
A beautiful public art display of four handmade glass and metal shutters by Dana Zed will welcome patrons into the branch. Inspired by the many nurseries once located in the Portola neighborhood, Zed created a colorful set of 20 individual and unique glass panels depicting California’s indigenous wildflowers. The designs provide a translucent artwork that can be viewed from both the exterior and interior of the branch.
Architecture firm Stoner Meek/Noll & Tam designed the new branch library, drawing from a range of inspiration - the form of books themselves, open to the public, and the rhythm and scale of traditional San Francisco neighborhood bay windows. At the library entrance, the public is welcomed by an airy art-filled Periodical Room. The porch-like quality of this entry continues along the full southern edge of the building, with reading chairs in each of the bay windows. The Department of Public Works managed the project.
Click here for a map and the buildings hours.
