University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Polk Library
A legacy library reinvented
- Client
- University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
- Location
- Wisconsin, United States
- Size
- 163,000 square feet
- Status
- In Progress
Originally constructed in the 1960s, the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh’s primary academic library has long served as a defining presence on campus. Our team is now reimagining the building not simply as a renovation, but as a profound transformation that repositions a legacy structure for a new era of teaching, research, collaboration and student success.
Rather than pursuing expansion, the project adopts a deliberate strategy to build back smaller. The approach combines selective renovation and reuse of the existing structure with targeted deconstruction and a carefully scaled new addition. This right-sizing effort reduces the overall footprint while significantly enhancing building performance, flexibility and environmental responsibility.
A defining feature of the building's transformation is the creation of a welcoming “campus porch” along the north quad. This shaded civic threshold draws students through the building while establishing the library as a natural destination for gathering, connection, and collaboration.
Inside, the "academic avenue" organizes the library experience — connecting classrooms, technology-rich learning spaces, academic support services and collections — in a sequence of light‑filled, double‑height spaces that make learning visible and accessible.
Wrapped in a high‑performance façade, the renewed Polk Library will feel perceptually new while honoring its past. The project catalyzes a cultural shift that is set to draw students out of residential spaces and into shared spaces that foster discovery, belonging and connection across campus.
