Carnegie Library- Washington, DC

As I am not an apostle of Apple, I usually avoid their stores like the plague. I had to make an exception for the Apple Carnegie Library in D.C., because a renovated 1901 Beaux Arts beauty is not to be missed, regardless of its current tenant. I must admit, the space is stunning. If you must to go to an Apple store, go to this one.

Andrew Carnegie, the steel tycoon known his philanthropy, was asked during an 1899 White House visit to fund construction of a public library in Washington, D.C. Having virtually an unlimited amount of money, he quickly offered $250,000 if Congress provided the land- which they did. Although several sites were considered, ultimately Mount Vernon Square was selected for the new library’s location.

Typical of the time, a competition was held to select the design of the building; a white marble exterior and a $250,000 budget were the only stipulations. Influenced by the City Beautiful movement and the White City of the Chicago World’s Fair, a classic design by New York’s Ackerman and Ross won the competition.

Ross, who trained at Paris’ Ecole des Beaux-Arts and previous worked with McKim, Mead and White, proved to be the perfect choice for the project. His design included an ornate exterior clad in Vermont white marble, a crenelated copper roof, and an abundance of arched windows. Philip Martiny, who worked on the Library of Congress’ grand staircase, created the building’s elegant ornamentation. Downstairs, Rafeal Guastavino added his distinctive vaulted ceilings.

Guastavino, a Spanish engineer, was well known for his tile arch system, which consisted of self supporting arches and vaults with interlocking terracotta tiles and layers of mortar. In addition to being fireproof, the herringbone pattern was visually stunning. Here, it was used in what would be the bicycle room. On January 7, 1903, with a final cost of $375,000, the Washington Public Library first opened its doors.

Although the surrounding area slowly declined, the library remained popular for over half a century. However, by the 1960s the space was deemed too small and a new central library was constructed. In 1972, the collection was moved to its current location, the very modern Mies van der Rohe designed Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library.

The old library was then occupied by the University of the District of Columbia’s Architecture Department, which departed in 1993. The building then remained vacant until 2003, when the Historical Society of Washington, DC opened a museum featuring the District’s history in the space. Although excellent, it closed a year later. In 2016, Apple submitted a successful bid to restore the library, and share the space with the Historical Society.

Designed by Foster and Partners, the renovated Carnegie Library opened on May 11, 2019. On the main level, the original reading rooms were converted to store space, showcasing Apple’s products. Upstairs, museum space features historic District photographs. Downstairs, in the erstwhile bicycle room, an amazing art gallery under the tiled vault.

Costing over $30 million (mere change to Apple, much like its original construction cost was to Carnegie), the result is breathtaking. Flawless executed, Ackerman and Ross would most definitely approve.