Correction: A previous version of this story reported the Northeast Regional Library won the National AIA/ALA Library Building Award twice. A project can only win this award once. The Northeast Library did win an AIA Kentucky Honor Award in 2021. (April 28, 2023)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On June 24, 2019, Louisville Free Public Library’s Northeast Regional branch opened. Now, almost four years later, the branch is being honored for its architecture and design.

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the American Library Association recognize libraries for their structures and all aspects of their design. The Northeast branch is one of five national libraries to receive the honor for 2023.

“Here at the library, we have recognized for a long time what an outstanding library facility this is. We can see it ourselves, and we hear about it from our library patrons all the time,” said Library Director Lee Burchfield. “I’m delighted to see the building and the team that created it getting the recognition they deserve.”

The award recognizes a library's structure and design. (Louisville Free Public Library)

JRA Architects of Louisville, Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle Ltd. of Minneapolis, MKSK Studios of Louisville designed the branch. It is the last library completed under LFPL’s 2008 master plan. According to LFPL, the nearly 40,000 square-foot Northeast Regional Library is one of the busiest libraries in the LFPL system. An average of 19,500 people visit Northeast each month and checked out over 573,000 books and other materials in the past year.

Designers looked at this project as a “pavilion in a park.” The building showcases views of a 13.5 acre park next to the building. The Northeast branch is home to over 100,000 books and has meeting and study rooms, spaces for teens and children, a recording studio, a maker lab and a demonstration kitchen.

The Northeast Regional Library is at 15 Bellevoir Circle off Ormsby Station Road near the Northeast YMCA. It is open every day and you can learn more about hours and other features at the facility by going to their website.

The Northeast Regional Library was honored in 2021 with an AIA Kentucky Honor Award. In 2019, LFPL's South Central Regional Library won a national AIA/ALA Building Award.