The Renton Public Library is the
King County Library System
The King County Library System (KCLS) is a public library system serving most residents of King County, Washington, United States. It has 49 locations in the areas of the county around Seattle, which has a separate Seattle Public Library, city l ...
(KCLS) branch library in
Renton, Washington
Renton is a city in King County, Washington, United States, and an inner-ring suburb of Seattle. Situated southeast of downtown Seattle, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington, at the mouth of the Cedar River. As of the 202 ...
, in the United States. It was a city library between its construction in 1966 and 2010, when it was one of the last three non-KCLS members in the county outside of Seattle and it was incorporated into KCLS after what may have been "the most contentious annexation fight in the system's 71 years".
Design and construction
The library sits astride a river – the
Cedar River – one of the only libraries in the United States to do so.
The building is about long, spanning the river on a bridge-like
precast concrete
Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable molding (process), mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and maneuvered into place; examples i ...
girder and tie system riding on pilings.
Renovation
The library was closed June 22, 2014 for a $10.2 million renovation,
[ to include new pilings into the banks of the Cedar River for ]seismic retrofitting
Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic w ...
, and replacement of wall-mounted windows with floor-to-ceiling glass for better river views and natural light. After renovation the library reopened in August, 2015.[ then in 2017 won the ]American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
chapter's Civic Design Honor Award for its rehabilitation.
Salmon viewing
The library's location over the Cedar River is considered a prime location to view spawning Northwest salmon species including Sockeye, Coho and Chinook.
References
External links
Official website via King County Library System2017 AIA Seattle Honor Awards Gallery: Renton Library
(AIA Seattle)
{{Authority control
1966 establishments in Washington (state)
Buildings and structures in Renton, Washington
Crossings of the Cedar River (Washington)
Library buildings completed in 1966
Public libraries in Washington (state)