Renton Public Library

The Renton Public Library is the King County Library System (KCLS) branch library in Renton, Washington, in the United States. It was a city library between its construction in 1966 and 2010, when it was one of the last three non-KCLS members in the county outside of Seattle and it was incorporated into KCLS after what may have been "the most contentious annexation fight in the system's 71 years".^[4]

Renton Public Library
Renton Library spanning the Cedar River as it appeared in July 2019
Alternative names	Cedar River Library, Renton Main Library
General information
Address	100 Mill Avenue South
Town or city	Renton, Washington
Country	United States
Coordinates	47.482°N 122.202°W / 47.482; -122.202
Opened	April 17, 1966
Renovated	2014–2015
Cost	$327,560
Client	City of Renton
Owner	King County Library System
Technical details
Floor area	19,500 sq ft (1,810 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Felix M. Campanella and David Arthur Johnston Johnston-Campanella & Company
Main contractor	Alton V. Phillips and Company
Renovating team
Architect(s)	Miller Hull Partnership
Engineer	Talasea Consultants, Inc. (enviro.)
Structural engineer	Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Services engineer	PAE Consulting Engineers (mech./plumbing)
Other designers	Christa Jansen (B&H Architects) (int.)
Main contractor	Construction Enterprises & Contractors
Awards and prizes	AIA/ALA Library Building Award (2016) AIA Seattle Civic Design Honor Award (2017)
1966 data via HistoryLink;[1] 2015 renovation data via Chicago Athenaeum[2] and from Daily Journal of Commerce[3]

Design and construction

The library sits astride a river – the Cedar River – one of the only libraries in the United States to do so.^[1]

The building is about 80 feet (24 m) long, spanning the river on a bridge-like precast concrete girder and tie system riding on pilings.^[5]

Renovation

The library was closed June 22, 2014 for a $10.2 million renovation,^[3] to include new pilings into the banks of the Cedar River for seismic retrofitting, and replacement of wall-mounted windows with floor-to-ceiling glass for better river views and natural light.^[6] After renovation the library reopened in August, 2015.^[3]

The library before renovation

For the renovation, Miller Hull Partnership architects were awarded AIA/ALA Library Building Award in 2016,^[3][7] then in 2017 won the American Institute of Architects Seattle chapter's Civic Design Honor Award for its rehabilitation.^[8][4]

Salmon viewing

The library's location over the Cedar River is considered a prime location to view spawning Northwest salmon species including Sockeye, Coho and Chinook.^{[9][10][11][12]}