2025 Lerch Bates
People's Choice Awards Finalists

Shaped by 17 years of community collaboration, the renewed Appleton Public Library transforms its 1981 brutalist-style structure into a vibrant civic anchor—demonstrating how thoughtful, minimal interventions can deliver lasting impact within tight economic constraints. Two new skylights and a glazed addition bring natural light deep into the once-dim interior, illuminating the expanded lower-level children’s area, now nearly twice its original size. With its welcoming, contemporary design, the library reemerges as an inclusive and sustainable community hub—reflecting shared values and reaffirming its role at the heart of civic life.