A LIBRARY WELL WORTH CHECKING OUT

A curtain wall with an eye-pleasing radius incorporates custom Pella® Clad Frame windows. Their wood interior combine streams of sunlight to provide a feeling of warmth throughout the library.

Rochester Hills, Michigan, has a historic 1940s character to its downtown that architect Stephen Smith wanted to retain in the community's new 69,000-square-foot public library. "We were looking for authentic color and high energy efficiency in all of the building's components." Pella^® clad frame windows fit in well with that plan. Pella offered the structural integrity and exterior glazing needed to execute the dramatic two-story radial curtain wall. And Pella custom color cladding matched the rest of the trim exactly. Noteworthy: the design of the Pella windows provided the inspiration and proportions for the glass-and-oak millwork partitions that distinguish the library's striking interior. "We liked the appearance of the Pella module and carried that through out." (Note: the windows of the library carrels were custom versions of today's Pella CornerView^® Window. See photos, page 31) Comments Smith, "Pella Technical Support staff helped develop the details, especially on the bay windows and curtain wall, to make sure those came out right."