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Cornell University
Olin Library Renewal

A thoughtful renewal reveals the beauty of Olin’s original structure while transforming its most-used spaces into a brighter, inclusive home for study and collaboration.

  • Location

    • Ithaca, NY

    Size

    • 34,250 GSF renovation

    Program

    • Reading space, meeting rooms, consultation rooms, service desk, Anthropology suite

    Practice area

Renewed for how students learn today

As libraries evolve from quiet repositories of books to vibrant hubs for study and connection, Olin Library has been renewed to meet that change. This renovation transforms one of Cornell’s most-used academic spaces into a brighter, more intuitive place to study and collaborate.

On the main floor, a new open plan improves flow and visibility, replacing the old “bowling-alley” layout with a single merged service desk visible from every corner. The lower level now provides a modern home for Cornell’s Department of Anthropology, bringing new life and purpose to space that was once just a basement.

New circulation patterns and a single merged service point make wayfinding more intuitive and the arrival experience more welcoming.

A place where students want to be

What was once “Tiger Alley”—a long, disconnected series of service points along a striped central artery—has been transformed with new circulation paths, finishes, and furnishings.
Every design decision was about improving how people experience the library—clarity, flow, and comfort. The biggest transformation came not from adding more, but from taking things away.
Libby Brown Senior Associate
BEFORE: Though full of character, the north reading area felt dark and dated—more closed off than welcoming.
AFTER: The space now glows with uplighting from the suspended wood ceiling, while new furniture and layouts invite in more daylight and views of the Arts Quad.
BEFORE: Low ceiling tiles and poor lighting compress the space, making it feel dim and heavy.
AFTER: By revealing the original waffle slab and adding acoustic panels in each coffer, the ceiling now feels higher and the entire space brighter and more welcoming.
A new entrance opens directly to the Arts Quad, linking the library to the heart of campus life.
Inside, the new entry introduces a more natural cross-flow through the library, replacing the old one-directional layout.
Elegant new wayfinding signage wraps the limestone columns, guiding visitors with clarity and ease.

Stakeholder engagement

Close collaboration with Cornell University Library staff, students, and faculty brought the renewal to life. Goody Clancy led hands-on engagement sessions, from VR walk-throughs of the Revit model to furniture “sit tests” with students. The team also encouraged the reuse of Olin’s historic call board, which was salvaged and later reinvented by Cornell students and faculty as a programmable digital clock display—a fitting symbol of Olin’s evolving spirit of access and innovation.

Students tested a range of furniture options over the course of a week, providing feedback that directly informed final selections.
VR walkthroughs helped library staff visualize the design and refine key features, such as the new merged service desk.
We sought input from all members of the Cornell community on how to transform the lower levels of the building into a more welcoming and connected space. Everything from furniture selection to the repurposing of the historic call board was achieved via community participation.
Jon LadleyFacilities Director, Cornell University Library
Cornell Engineering students creatively repurposed the library’s historic call board as a digital clock.

A showpiece for Anthropology

Below the revitalized main floor, part of Olin’s once-utilitarian basement was transformed into a visible new home for Cornell’s Department of Anthropology. Collaborating closely with faculty, the team designed flexible classrooms, artifact labs, offices, and specialized storage spaces tailored to the department’s unique teaching and research needs. Historic casework and collections were relocated from across the Arts Quad, while new lighting and finishes create a bright, stable environment for the study and preservation of materials that span centuries and cultures—from mummies and bones to pottery, maps, and more.

Historic casework was carefully relocated, and each artifact was given a dedicated home within the new Anthropology suite.
An inviting descent to the Anthropology suite is lined with cartographic prints.
The suite directory doubles as an art installation, using student drawings printed on acrylic to express the identity of the Anthropology community.
Project impact
  • 5,000+

    acoustic panels installed within existing exposed concrete baffles

  • 15

    pieces of turn-of-the-century casework salvaged and reinstalled

This space is now more accessible and welcoming to all who enter… Libraries are about being open: yes, to knowledge, but also to students, allowing them space to be who they are.
Elaine L. WestbrooksUniversity Librarian and Vice Provost, Cornell University

For more information on this page:

Project Team

Mohar Design

Kugler Ning

RFS Engineering

Welliver Construction

Photography

Brad Feinknopf

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