The new McAllen Public Library is now the largest one-story library in the country. The 123,000 square foot community oriented facility is located at the corners of Nolana and 23rd street in McAllen, Texas. It is an adaptive reuse of a Walmart.

In her book, Big Box Reuse, author Julia Christensen states, "America is becoming a container landscape of big boxes connected by highways. When a big box store upsizes to an even bigger box "supercenter" down the road, it leaves behind more than the vacant shell of a retail operation; it leaves behind a changed landscape that can't be changed back." The City of McAllen was one of those cities faced with this issue. The McAllen City Commission was clear, "the new library should not look like it was a Walmart!" This was the challenge.

The library possesses environmentally friendly features. An LED lighting system illuminates the exterior signature tower. The addition of windows and skylights adds daylight to the interior. The mechanical system is a chilled water system that is 70% more efficient than the original Walmart system. It also has the ability to recycle condensate water back into the chilled water system.

Since opening, membership and lending transactions have skyrocketed. Additional staff was required to manage increased demand. With its new adaptations, the Walmart image has been erased and an old Big Box shell left behind has been transformed into a thriving, revitalized library.

“The McAllen Main Library represents an important shift in American Cultural attitudes towards tolerating big box, suburban structures. The interior spaces have been dramatically transformed from a warehouse to a place of intimacy.”

-National AIA Honor Awards Jury

• Awards

• -AIA Honor Award for Interior Architecture

• -AIA Minnesota Honor Award

• -LRGV AIA Honor Award

• -ALA/IIDA Library Interior design Award for best of Public Libraries over 30,000 square feet

• -IIDA Northland Chapter FAB Award for Government / Institutional Projects