Architects: Bora Architecture & Interiors; Convergence Architecture
General contractor: Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company
Size and location: Adding 2,900 square feet on the existing site
Timeline: Opening June 27, 2026
A cornerstone of the community, St. Johns Library was renovated and expanded, updating the historic Carnegie building and adding 2,900 square feet for a total of 8,500 square feet of modern space on the existing site.
Gifts to The Library Foundation supported the creation of an interactive early learning space featuring artwork by Carson Ellis, a teen room for students to gather and study, and mobile creative learning lab at St. Johns Library.
Celebrate the grand opening of St. Johns Library!
We are excited to welcome you to the expanded St. Johns 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, June 27, 2026
Sunday, June 28, 2026
New features
All of St. Johns’ features are the result of extensive community and staff engagement with features for the community to enjoy.
New features include:
- An early learning and play space for children and their families.
- One large and two small community rooms for meetings and library programs.
- A teen room for enjoying technology, connection and creativity.
- 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.
- Thousands of books, DVDs and CDs with representation of the cultural and language diversity of the neighborhood.
- New art that represents the community in partnership with the Regional Arts & Culture Council, including:
- An outdoor sculpture series by artist Victor Trejo
- A new mural in the kids area by artist Carson Ellis
- A new painting on wood panels in the teen room by Portland Street Art Alliance artist David Rice, guided by a teen art workshop at Roosevelt High School.
See what you, the community, voted for at St. Johns Library with this fly-through.
Centering the community
To amplify the community’s ideas, the library worked with the design team to host focus groups, public meetings, tabling at local schools and events, and public surveys. We engaged over 2,500 people during more than 50 activities. Community members cast 766 votes for St. Johns’ interior color, with the winning theme being cool greens and blues inspired by views of Forest Park.
In the seating area, ceiling acoustic panels feature patterns inspired by a community art workshop held at the St. Johns Art Walk. Not only are these panels beautiful, but they also help to reduce noise in the library!
Additionally, five Community Design Advocates were part of a paid program to connect with their communities about how St. Johns Library can represent them. This group met with the library’s designers and worked together to plan their outreach, then gave feedback to the architects based on what they learned from their communities.
Learn about how community engagement has guided all the projects.
