Van Nuys Branch

Last updated

Van Nuys Branch Library
("old"—1926 & "new"—1964)
Van Nuys Branch Library, Van Nuys.JPG
"Old" Van Nuys Branch Library
USA Los Angeles Metropolitan Area location map.svg
Red pog.svg
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location14555 Sylvan, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California.
Coordinates 34°11′5″N118°26′59″W / 34.18472°N 118.44972°W / 34.18472; -118.44972
Built1926; 1964
ArchitectAllison & Allison
Architectural styleMission-Spanish Colonial Revival (1926)
Mid-century modern (1964)
MPS Los Angeles Branch Library System TR
NRHP reference No. 87001019 [1]
LAHCM No.911
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 19, 1987
Designated LAHCMFebruary 13, 2008

Van Nuys Branch covers two branch library buildings of the Los Angeles Public Library, both located in Van Nuys, central San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California.

Contents

"Old" Van Nuys Branch of 1926

The original or "Old" Van Nuys Branch library was built in 1926 based on a Spanish Colonial Revival style design by architects Allen & Allen. [2] In 37 years of operation, the circulation grew from 27,000 to more than 350,000 volumes annually. [2] The old branch was closed in 1964, and replaced with a new branch in the Van Nuys Civic Center on the other side of Van Nuys Boulevard. [2]

National Register of Historic Places

In 1987, the "Old" Van Nuys Branch and several other branch libraries in Los Angeles were added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of a thematic group submission. [3] The application noted that the branch libraries had been constructed in a variety of period revival styles to house the initial branch library system of the City of Los Angeles.

"New" Van Nuys Branch of 1964

1964 Mid-century modern
"New" Van Nuys Branch library. Van Nuys Branch Library, Los Angeles.JPG
1964 Mid-century modern
"New" Van Nuys Branch library.

The "New" Van Nuys Branch library opened in 1964 in the then-new Van Nuys Civic Center. [2] The Mid-century modern style one-story masonry building extends out into the landscape with a modernist colonnade, and is shaded by groves of trees.

The building was also headquarters for the Los Angeles Public Library's bookmobile service. [2] It was temporarily closed and surrounded by a chain-link fence in 2005, and in 2007 the city announced plans to auction off the building. [4] Instead it was renovated to reopen as the branch library again.

The restored and updated "New" Van Nuys branch library is again the Los Angeles Public Library branch for Van Nuys, in the expanded Van Nuys Government Center complex of public buildings that replaced the former Van Nuys Civic Center. [5]

In January 2019, the "New" Van Nuys branch library closed again for renovations. It was scheduled to reopen in summer 2020, but the renovations were delayed due to COVID-19. The library finally reopened in October 2021. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Nuys</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles in California, United States

Van Nuys is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pasadena City Hall</span> Historic city hall of Pasadena, California, U.S.

Pasadena City Hall is the historic city hall of Pasadena, California, United States. Completed in 1927, it combines elements of both Mediterranean Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture, and is a significant architectural example of the City Beautiful movement of the 1920s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Malabar Branch Library is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moneta Branch</span> United States historic place

Moneta Branch, also known as the Junipero Serra Branch, is a former branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located south of Downtown Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Irving Branch</span> United States historic place

The original Washington Irving Branch library, located at 1802 South Arlington Avenue in Los Angeles, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1926, it was closed and replaced by a new branch, located at 4117 West Washington Boulevard, in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venice Branch</span> United States historic place

Venice Branch is a former branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in the Venice section of Los Angeles, California. The old Venice Branch library was replaced in 1995 by a new branch now known as the Venice-Abott Kinney Memorial Branch. The Spanish Colonial Revival style building is now used as the Vera Davis McClendon Youth and Family Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felipe de Neve Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Felipe de Neve Branch Library is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in Lafayette Park in Westlake, Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Henry Dana Branch</span> United States historic place

Richard Henry Dana Branch, named after Richard Henry Dana Jr. and later known as the Cypress Park Branch, is a former branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in the Cypress Park, Los Angeles, California section of Los Angeles, California. The Georgian Revival style building was built in 1926 based on a design by architect Harry S. Bent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Heights Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Lincoln Heights Branch Library is the second oldest branch library in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Located in the Lincoln Heights section of Los Angeles, California, it was built in the Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance Revival styles in 1916 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie. One of three surviving Carnegie libraries in Los Angeles, it has been designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Square Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Vermont Square Branch Library is the oldest branch library in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Located about a mile southwest of the University of Southern California campus, in the Vermont Square district, it was built in 1913 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie. One of three surviving Carnegie libraries in Los Angeles, it has been designated a Historic-Cultural Monument and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cahuenga Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Cahuenga Branch is the third oldest branch library facility in the Los Angeles Public Library system. Located at 4591 Santa Monica Boulevard in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles, it was built in 1916 with a grant from Andrew Carnegie. One of three surviving Carnegie libraries in Los Angeles, it has been designated as a Historic-Cultural Monument and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Robert Louis Stevenson Branch Library is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1927 based on a Spanish Colonial Revival design by architect George L. Lindsay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angeles Mesa Branch Library</span> United States historic place

Angeles Mesa Branch Library is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library in the Angeles Mesa neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was built in the late 1920s based on a Spanish Colonial Revival style design by architect Royal Dana. The building was dedicated and opened to the public on October 9, 1928, and cost about $35,000 to build and furnish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John C. Fremont Branch Library, Los Angeles</span> United States historic place

John C. Fremont Branch Library is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library in Los Angeles, California. It is adjacent to the Hancock Park district. It was built in 1927 based on a Mediterranean Revival design by architect Merl L. Barker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Muir Branch Library, Los Angeles</span> United States historic place

John Muir Branch Library is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library. It was built in 1930 based on a design by architect Henry F. Withey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library</span> United States historic place

The North Hollywood Amelia Earhart Regional Library, which was formerly known as the North Hollywood Branch Library, is a branch library in the Los Angeles Public Library system, located in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1930 based on a Mediterranean Revival design by architects Weston & Weston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilmington Branch</span> United States historic place

Wilmington Branch is a branch library of the Los Angeles Public Library located in the Wilmington section of Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1927 based on a Spanish Colonial Revival design by architect W.E. McAllister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panorama Mall</span> Shopping mall in California, United States

Panorama Mall is a mall in Panorama City, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California. It is an enclosed mall anchored by two large discount stores, Walmart and Curacao, aimed primarily at a Hispanic customer base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Central Library</span> Main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library

Richard J. Riordan Central Library, also known as the Los Angeles Central Library, is the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), in Downtown Los Angeles. It is named after Mayor of Los Angeles Richard Riordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Nuys Government Center</span> Local, state and federal government offices

The Van Nuys Government Center is a 17.3-acre (70,000 m2) cluster of buildings in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles that houses various local, state and federal government offices and services. It is an important regional hub in the decentralized city of Los Angeles, roughly by bounded by Calvert Street, Sylvan Street, Tyrone Avenue and Van Nuys Boulevard.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "LAPL: History of the Van Nuys Branch". 2014-02-14.
  3. The Los Angeles Branch Library System TR Multiple Property Submission nomination explains 22 branch libraries, but one, the University Branch, appears not to have been listed.
  4. Kerry Cavanaugh (August 15, 2007). "Original 1926 Van Nuys library for sale". Daily News (Los Angeles).
  5. LAPL: Van Nuys Branch (reopened) . accessed 2.14.2014
  6. "Van Nuys Branch Library | Los Angeles Public Library".