Architects: Hennebery Eddy Architects
General contractor: Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company
Size and location: A renovated building on a new site, with 11,000 square feet at 2030 NW Pettygrove Street
Timeline: Opening January 10, 2026
Northwest Library has moved to a brand new location, going from a cramped, leased space at 2300 NW Thurman to 2030 NW Pettygrove Street. This new location is approximately 11,000 square feet, more than twice the size of the former library at 4,700 square feet. Northwest Library has long been a small but beloved location for Northwest Portland, and its expansion means more space for the community.
Celebrate the grand opening of Northwest Library!
We are excited to welcome you to a new Northwest Library. Join us for two days of free, fun-filled community events to celebrate. Community events will be updated here as they are scheduled.
Saturday, January 10, 2026
New Northwest Library: Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers; 10-11 am
New Northwest Library Design with Hennebery Eddy Architects; 12-1:30 pm
New Northwest Library: Flor al Estilo Origami/Flower Origami; 1-3 pm
New Northwest Library: 101 History of Slabtown; 2-3:30 pm
New Northwest Library: Environmental Education with PP&R; 3:30-5:30 pm
New Northwest Library: Street Roots Poetry Reading; 4-5:30 pm
Sunday, January 11, 2026
New Northwest Library: Accordian with Maeve Stier; 12:30-1:30 pm
New Northwest Library: Explore Audio Visual Equipment; 1:30-3 pm
New Northwest Library Design with Hennebery Eddy Architects; 2-3:30 pm
New Northwest Library: Crafting Bookmarks with SCRAP!; 3:30-5:30 pm
New Northwest Library: Bossa PDX and the Music of Brazil; 4-5:30 pm
New features
To recognize its role as a popular, beloved location, Northwest Library’s updates are the result of extensive community and staff engagement with features for the community to enjoy.
Based on community input, new features include:
- A large early learning and play space for children and their families.
- A teen area with space for technology, homework and creative expression.
- A larger, more diverse collection of books.
- Five small community rooms for study, homework and small group meetings; one medium and one large room for group meetings, library programs and presentations.
- Updated wi-fi and technology, including more laptops, iPads and creative software for patron use.
- New Automated Materials Handling system, ensuring materials get to patrons much faster.
- Modern self checkout stations to provide a better patron experience.
- New art that represents the community in partnership with the Regional Arts and Culture Council including:
- A suspended artwork by artist Christine Clark
- Artwork from the Portland Street Art Alliance including:
- A room-spanning mural by artist Kyler Martz, guided by a local teen art workshop which informed a tranquil, comforting theme with ties to nature
- Mural in the gallery seating area by artist Nia Musiba
See what you, the community, voted for at Northwest Library with this fly-through.
Centering the community
Northwest Library has been a vital center of the community for decades. The library worked with the design team to table at existing community events and host focus groups, public meetings and public surveys. We engaged over 1,700 people during more than 19 activities. Community members cast 1,189 votes for Northwest’s color palette. The winning color theme reflects the sky and sunset as the Vaux's swifts would funnel into the chimney at Chapman Elementary School.
Project teams held paid focus groups with local elders, families, teens and social service providers and clients. The local neighborhood association was also engaged in the design process.
