Piqua Public Library has been selected for a 2010 Ohio Historic Preservation Office award in recognition of the project"s transformation from an abandoned and deteriorated turn-of-the-century structure into an elegant and functional city library. The award, which will be presented on November 6, will go to the Piqua Public Library, the city of Piqua, and the design team of PSA-Dewberry, MKC Associates, and Jeff Wray Associates.

The commendation for historic preservation is the second that the library has earned for historic preservation and rehabilitation. Piqua Public Library was recognized with a Heritage Ohio Public Improvement Award soon after it opened in 2008. The library"s restoration was also featured in the May 2010 issue of Library Journal in an article entitled "Embracing a Grand History."

The ambitious adaptive reuse project converted a Richardson Romanesque building constructed in 1891 and set in the heart of Piqua"s downtown. Originally known as the Orr-Statler Building and later as the Fort Piqua Hotel, the building had been vacant and in disrepair for many years. Challenges such as antiquated systems, structural deficiencies, hazardous materials, and animal infestation were all addressed during the rehabilitation, while the design team also worked to create suitable space for a modern library and public gatherings. The Piqua Historical Museum is also housed within the 80,000-square-foot building.

While the renovation was demanding, the building also offered many unique features, according to Randy Gibson, PE, who served as principal-in-charge for PSA-Dewberry. "The women"s stairs at the front of the building reflected a time when it was considered inappropriate for women to come into the hotel and see men smoking and playing cards," he says. "Preserving those stairs, and the overall elegance and charm of the lobby, were important focal points for the design."

Gibson also points to the stacked stone walls and low ceilings in the building"s basement—a rare opportunity to turn uninviting space into a castle-like children"s area. "The stacked stone foundation walls couldn"t have been replicated in modern construction," he says. "It"s the real deal."

The building features a mezzanine above the lobby with many restored historic details, a dramatic skylight, a fireplace, and existing historic windows with glass inserts added to create an energy-efficient thermal pane effect.