'NEW IMAGININGS.' While exterior upgrades to the Menomonie Public Library were completed last year, the interior of the building has remained largely unchanged since first opening its doors in 1986 on the shore of Lake Menomin. Today, thanks to a handful of interior design students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic, new mockups been drawn up. (All renderings courtesy of UW-Stout Polytechnic)

Designed in the Prairie School style by architect John Howe, who was chief draftsman for the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright, the Menomonie Public Library opened its doors in 1986 on the shore of Lake Menomin. Now, in its 40th year, local college students are helping reimagine its interior to meet the changing wants and needs of library patrons.

While exterior upgrades were completed last year thanks to grant funding, the interior of the library has remained largely unchanged for that four-decade stretch. Thanks to interior design students at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic, plans to change that have been drawn up.

This semester, interior design students in Professor Julie Peterson’s Educational, Civic and Cultural Design Studio course were asked to create designs that integrate the library’s current and projected needs for the coming decades while retaining and honoring the building’s existing architecture. 

Peterson said the service-learning project exemplified the university’s three polytechnic tenets: applied learning, business and industry partnership and career-focused experiences.

“Throughout this design process, the students had the opportunity to tour the actual site, see the library in action, conduct subsequent visits to make additional observations that support their design concept, present to and incorporate feedback from the client during an interim critique, and prepare a formal presentation for the Menomonie Public Library and stakeholders,” she said. “This mimics the actual design process in the profession of interior design.”   

Meeting Library Patrons’ Evolving Wants & Needs

In recent years, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic, library patrons have demonstrated different preferences in how they gather, synthesize information and share stories, Menomonie Public Library Director Joleen Sterk said.

“Without funds to hire a design firm to work on reimagining our space, the library board thought it would be an interesting opportunity to work with the university,” Sterk said. “Students would gain valuable real-world experience, the library would benefit from faculty perspectives on library design from those who have worked in the industry, and the public can hopefully benefit from ideas on how to reimagine the space for today’s demands and well into the future.”

In part inspired by the work that interior design students had done on behalf of the Helping Hands+ Pantry on campus, library representatives approached UW-Stout Polytechnic’s interior design program for help earlier this year.

On a recent afternoon in the interior design studio in the Applied Arts Building, six groups of students presented their designs to representatives from the library staff, library board of directors and Cedar Corp., a Menomonie-based architectural firm that has both worked on library projects and hired numerous UW-Stout Polytechnic graduates. The student teams shared design concept statements and images, scaled floorplans, rendered perspective views, palettes of primary materials and finishes, lighting upgrades, and lists of needed furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

Peterson, Design Department Chair Shelley Pecha, and Assistant Professor Nicolette Brehm met with Sterk and other library reps to create a list of goals for the project. These include creating flexibility in spaces so they can change throughout the day without expanding the building, providing transparent or translucent walls and noise control solutions to increase privacy, adding more soft seating, creating a combined circulation desk to allow for greater teamwork and designing flexible gathering places for small groups.

First, students researched library design and found examples of other remodeling projects around the state and nation. Then, incorporating a long list of functional requirements and design considerations, the students created detailed presentations. 

Students Say They Feel 'Honored' to Make An Impact In Menomonie

Senior interior design major Lydia Mensing of Owatonna, Minn., said the project presented several unique challenges: making the space more modern and inviting while retaining its original character, as well as serving the many different age groups that use the library. 

“We wanted each space to have its own purpose while still making the entire library feel connected,” she said. “It also challenged us to think about how people would actually use the spaces instead of just focusing on how they looked.”

Mensing and fellow interior design senior Lina Luedtke  put roughly 100 hours of work into their design, which among other things features a children’s section with colorful furniture, playful lighting, and seating options that would work for both kids and the adults keeping an eye on them.

Interior design senior Haley Petersen worked with classmates Maddie Pretzer and MacKenzie Franzen to create designs that include a custom diagonal desk, built-in seating next to the library’s windows, and a children’s section that included a custom mural, curved shelving, and a colorful acoustic ceiling treatment to reduce noise.

Their designs also transform the library’s front desk into a focal point by emulating existing Prairie Style architectural elements, notably the pentagonal, stained glass ceiling that serves as one of the library’s central features. 

“We incorporated wood finishes and a decorative pattern inspired by the stained glass in the library to connect the new design with the building’s history,” Mensing said. “We also focused on making the desk functional for staff while creating a welcoming first impression for visitors.”

Luedtke added that thoughtfully redesigning a beloved community institution was a challenge.

“It was an amazing experience to work with a real client and know that our ideas could make a meaningful impact,” she said. “I felt honored to have the opportunity to redesign a space that is so important to the Menomonie community. It made the project especially rewarding because we weren't just creating something for a class; we were thinking about how our design could improve the experience of people who use the library every day.”

Renderings Could Inform Future Renovations

Peterson said she was pleased with the work that her students produced, especially given the rigor and pace of the project. 

Sterk, the library director, added that she was impressed by the quality of the students’ work, especially considering they had only seven weeks to devote to the complex project. 

“All six groups paid close attention to color, texture, lighting and acoustics to communicate the ‘feel’ of the building we are striving to achieve,” she said. “It is evident to me that now is the time for new imaginings and new ways of gathering in this special public space.”

Sterk said the students’ renderings will “help library decision makers envision possibilities and identify priorities in any future renovation.” 

The partnership between the library and UW-Stout Polytechnic is expected to continue next semester through a new course, Interdisciplinary Interior Environments, taught by Brehm. The course is intended for students studying interior design as well as those in the graphic design and interactive media and industrial and product design programs, and students are expected to hone design concepts from this fall’s course.

Learn more about the Menomonie Public Library online • More information on the University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic and its art and design school can be found online