New Neilson Library Building Project

East elevation, Seelye lawn: Rising from both the north and south sides of the building, two softly curved “jewel boxes” underscore Neilson’s status as the intellectual heart of the campus, beckoning visitors to explore Smith’s renowned special collections, rich archives of women’s history, rows upon rows of books and a new café and digital media hub.

East elevation at night

North elevation, view from Chapin Lawn: Strategically placed window walls ensure natural lighting for the café, study spaces, and reading rooms in the north jewel box.

North elevation at night

Sunken courtyard, north jewel box, and amphitheater: The grounds around the library will be opened up, linking the college’s science quadrangle with center campus and restoring integrity to Frederick Law Olmsted’s original campus plan. A sunken courtyard garden will allow daylight to stream into the library’s ground floor, while a wheelchair accessible outdoor amphitheater will provide shaded seating for studying, socializing, and outdoor events.

Sunken courtyard and north jewel box at night

West elevation, amphitheater and Burton lawn entrance: At the building’s core is the original 1909 facade, anchoring Neilson’s place in our community and respectfully paying homage to the long history of learning that has taken place inside its walls.

West elevation at night

South elevation, view from Green Street: Neilson’s Special Collections are among the most significant college research repositories in the country and represent one of the highest caliber teaching, research and experiential learning environments at the college. The collections will be enclosed in the center of the south jewel box wing in one visible and accessible location.

South elevation at night: The south wing incorporates an underground tunnel that connects the Neilson Library to the alumnae gymnasium, which will house additional Libraries staff and technology spaces, and serve as a 24-hour study space.

Ground Floor Central Hall: This floor will open onto Burton lawn. Visitors will find a Central Service Point for Library and Information services; research librarians, instructional technologists, and spatial analysts will provide collaboration and support for the Smith community.

Digital Media Hub, Ground Floor: This level will contain a Digital Media Hub, book stacks, technology and library instruction classrooms, recording studios, and a number of collaboration spaces.

Sunken Courtyard, Ground Floor: Light-filled study spaces and book stacks will surround the north wing’s sunken courtyard.

Central Hall, 1st Floor: One of the building’s most distinctive design details will be an oculus—a round skylight in the library’s central atrium that will be surrounded by a reflective, curved wall that captures and then magnifies outside light. Maya Lin describes it as a “contemporary sundial at the library’s historic core.”

North jewel box Café, 1st Floor: The center of the north jewel box opens up to a skylight on the 3rd floor, allowing sunlight to travel through the wing.

Conway Center, 1st Floor: The Jill Ker Conway Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center hosts and facilitates a slate of programs and activities focused on creative thinking, problem solving, interdisciplinary teamwork and development of business and entrepreneurial skills. The east portion of the building will also feature a large Browsing Room.

Learning Commons, 1st Floor: This area will offer a number of support services for students. Staff from the Jacobson Center for Writing, Teaching and Learning; the Spinelli Center for Quantitative Learning; the Office of Disability Services; and Wellness Services, as well as research librarians, academic technologists and more will be available for consultation.

Learning Commons, 2nd Floor: Book stacks will surround many of the exterior walls of the building. Compact and underground book storage will also be well utilized. The 2nd floor will also include the Caverno Room, a Reflection Room where students can pray and meditate, and a seminar classroom, one of two in the building that will be available for campus use.

North Jewel Box Study Space, 3rd Floor: The new library will include a variety of tables, chairs, study carrels, bench nooks, and seating options, as well as quiet study spaces. 

South Jewel Box Special Collections Reading Room, 3rd Floor: Within the south wing, the Smith College Archives, the Sophia Smith Collection and Mortimer Rare Book Collection will unite to make scholarly material accessible to the community and curated by knowledgeable staff on hand to share their expertise.

Reading Room, 3rd Floor: A variety of study space options will be designated on this level, from open space areas to reservable group study rooms. The 2nd and 3rd floors will have individual study carrels; the building is designed to be successively quieter on each floor as visitors travel upward.

Skyline Reading Room, 4th Floor: This room will primarily be open as study space; a full catering kitchen will support the room’s occasional use as an event space. Visitors will also enjoy the outdoor patio, which will provide another space to study. On three sides of the patio, spectacular sitelines of the surrounding valley and Holyoke Range will be visible.

Skyline Reading Room, 4th Floor: From this floor, visitors can look through the top of the oculus, which extends down to the ground floor and provides sunlight for the center core of the library.

Site plan: The building project is aiming for LEED Gold certification. Architects and contractors are prioritizing natural materials (wood, stone, glass) and are sourcing local materials as much as possible. The college is considering a number of options for landscape design; possibilities include planting lawn alternatives, incorporating species that will thrive in a warming climate, and using native trees and shrubs, which provide habitats for birds and bees.