Completed 2026
41,500 square feet
New Construction

Photography: Chuck Choi

The new 41,500-square-foot Belmont Public Library transforms both the Town’s library services and its relationship to the surrounding landscape. Completed in January 2026 on the site of the former library, the two-story building replaces an aging 1960s facility burdened by failing building systems, inadequate ventilation, hazardous materials, and significant accessibility shortcomings. The project also reimagines a site where vehicular circulation and parking had limited the library’s connection to its natural surroundings, particularly Wellington Brook.

The new library provides a welcoming, accessible, and flexible civic destination designed to serve the evolving needs of the Belmont community. Expanded collections, generous reading and gathering spaces, improved staff and circulation areas, quiet study rooms, and dedicated spaces for making and digital media support a broad range of educational, cultural, and community activities. Expansive floor-to-ceiling windows introduce abundant natural light, create visual connections between interior spaces and the landscape, and frame views of Underwood Lawn and Wellington Brook.

Beyond the building itself, the project fundamentally redefines the library’s relationship to its site. A new pedestrian-friendly landscape places Wellington Brook at the heart of the library experience, transforming a previously underutilized natural resource into a focal point for the building and its grounds. Landscaped gathering areas and outdoor spaces for library programming extend the library’s activities beyond its walls, creating new opportunities for community engagement, informal interaction, and enjoyment of the natural setting. Together with the building’s transparency and carefully considered orientation, these improvements establish a stronger connection between the library, its landscape, and the broader community.

Sustainability is integral to the project’s architectural and landscape design. The all-electric, fossil-fuel-free building incorporates roof-mounted photovoltaic panels that generate renewable energy on site, while a high-performance building envelope, including triple-pane glazing, reduces energy demand and enhances occupant comfort. Generous natural daylighting further reduces reliance on artificial lighting while strengthening connections to the outdoors. A vegetated green roof, together with an innovative stormwater management system of planted swales and rain gardens, helps manage runoff and improve water quality. Along Wellington Brook, significant remediation of invasive Japanese knotweed and the introduction of native plant species help restore the ecological health of the brook corridor, strengthen local biodiversity, and reestablish a more natural landscape.

Architecturally, the building balances a contemporary expression of openness and transparency with a material palette rooted in Belmont’s civic traditions. Brick, a defining characteristic of many of the Town’s municipal buildings, provides a sense of permanence and continuity, while expansive glazing expresses the library’s welcoming and forward-looking mission. Together, the architecture and landscape establish a renewed civic landmark—one that honors Belmont’s architectural heritage, embraces its natural resources, and provides an enduring center for learning, connection, and community life.