The Kansas City Public Library needed a solution for a parking garage façade that was functional by necessity but had the potential to be something far more meaningful. The challenge was transforming a utilitarian structure into something that extended the library's mission into the public realm — making it a civic landmark rather than a forgettable piece of urban infrastructure.
The solution needed to be durable, legible at street scale, contextually appropriate to the neighborhood, and genuinely reflective of Kansas City's intellectual and cultural identity.
The concept that emerged was direct and powerful: transform the parking garage façade into an oversized community bookshelf. Each panel would represent the spine of a book selected to reflect Kansas City's cultural identity — spanning literature, history, local voices, and shared civic values.
The project required careful coordination between graphic design, structural constraints, fabrication methods, and installation logistics to ensure the façade functioned at street scale while remaining durable, legible, and contextually appropriate. I led the content research and development — identifying and curating the titles that would appear on the façade, ensuring they balanced visual impact with genuine cultural resonance. Each book spine was scaled and designed to read clearly from the street while holding up to close inspection, with typography and ornamentation drawn from the books themselves.
The Kansas City Public Library parking garage façade became one of the most recognized and photographed civic landmarks in the city — a permanent public asset that draws visitors, generates ongoing media coverage, and has become genuinely beloved by Kansas City residents. It won Best of Show and established early credibility in environmental graphic design and large-scale placemaking.
Beyond the award, the project demonstrated something more fundamental: that design integration and execution can elevate functional architecture into meaningful civic expression. The library's values — literacy, curiosity, and shared knowledge — are now embedded in the daily streetscape of downtown Kansas City.
