Ten Years After: Designing the Austin Central Library
By Lynn Petermann, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Austin Central Library, Austin, TX. Photo by Nic Lehoux.
When the Austin Central Library opened its doors in the fall of 2017, it immediately reshaped the cultural and architectural landscape of downtown Austin. A decade later, its influence continues to ripple through the city and through the practice of library design nationwide. This milestone feels especially impactful for me personally, as I spent the early years of my career immersed in the project. Now, we have a unique opportunity to revisit the design process, our team’s partnership with Lake | Flato, and the unexpected moments that shaped one of America’s most celebrated civic buildings.
Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons, Salem State University, Salem, MA. Photo by Jonathan Hillyer.
From Break to Breakthrough
My path to the Austin Central Library was anything but linear. I entered the profession during the Great Recession, when nothing felt stable. When I arrived at Shepley Bulfinch, the firm had recently won the Austin Central Library project. But the project was paused for a full year while the city continued to align the project’s ambitions with financial parameters. During that pause, I worked on the Salem State University Library, gaining my first real library experience. By the time the library project restarted, I was ready to dive in.
Becoming the Texan on a Boston Team
I grew up with deep family roots in Central Texas and had gone to architecture school at UT Austin. That connection turned out to be surprisingly useful. As a Boston firm coming into Texas, my local expertise brought another way for me to meaningfully contribute.
When schematic design began, I was embedded directly in Lake | Flato’s San Antonio studio. There was a cultural shift involved; it was a different rhythm, a different climate, a different way of thinking about design—and I loved it. But, at the same time, despite being the only Shepley Bulfinch person in the room at times, I never felt like an outsider. The Lake | Flato team welcomed me fully. David Lake cared about making a great building and had a group of passionate designers and architects from both firms to help carry that through.
Designing a Library Before the City
When we began designing the library, the site was essentially a field at the edge of the downtown grid and was one project emerging amongst many, such as the new Second Street bridge and the Shoal Creek Trail, to list a few. That blank slate gave us enormous freedom but also required imagination. We had to design a building that would anchor a future neighborhood we could only partially predict. We explored stacking options, adjacencies, and site strategies that would shape how the building met the lake, the city, and the public realm. Over the past 10 years, the Second Street District has grown into a new, vibrant hub, and the library, as a facility that is free and open to all, holds a special place in the urban fabric.
Austin Central Library, Austin, TX. Photo by Lara Swimmer.
Austin Central Library, Austin, TX. Photo by Lara Swimmer.
Learning Through Complexity
The Austin Central Library is an incredibly complex building. During construction documents, I focused on exterior details—the roof garden, the deep inset windows in limestone, the custom screens and scrims—each element required deep coordination and problem‑solving.
As a young designer, I didn’t know enough to be intimidated. I just dove in. That experience shaped my confidence for years to come. Today, when I’m working on a project with intricate façade systems or unconventional assemblies, I draw from Austin Central Library and still refer to the construction documents so many years later. I know what’s possible when you bring the right people together and stay committed to the idea.
A Decade Later
Nine years after opening, the Austin Central Library remains one of the most beloved civic buildings in the country. For me, revisiting this project has been a reminder of how formative those years were. From the people I worked with to the risks we took and the lessons I learned, the experience continues to shape my work today.
It’s been exciting to go down memory lane. And it’s even more exciting to see how the building continues to evolve, inspire, and serve the city it was designed for.
Lynn Petermann, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Senior Architect, Associate
Lynn is a senior architect who brings a research-driven approach to projects while emphasizing creativity. She is well versed in all aspects of building design and has worked on several large-scale projects with clients from inception through construction.