South Brooklyn Branch Library

History

Originally located on the corner of Pearl and Devonshire, the first site for the branch was built with Carnegie funds and belonged to the independent South Brooklyn Village. When the village annexed to Cleveland the building was turned over to the Cleveland Library Board. In 1936, a former bank building was bought, remodeled and expanded.

In 1979, a new 10,200-square-foot building designed by Fred Toguchi Associates was opened. The architect used the natural contours of the site to define the interior areas with gradual floor level variations. The interior areas were designed by the architect to be in an intimate and "people-sized" scale and lit by skylights. Painted exposed mechanical ductwork was considered a modern design element.

Special Features

On the north side of the building on the corner of Pearl and State roads stands a sculpture by Carl Floyd, 1980: Two sandstone arcs, approximately 10 feet tall. This branch also features paintings by Julian Stanczak and Cathryn Kapp.