Design Profile: Kingsessing Library & Recreation Center

Kingsessing Recreation Park includes the Kingsessing branch of the Philadelphia Free Library (1918), the Recreation Center (1916), playgrounds, a multi-sport field, tennis and basketball courts, a pool and green space that has served the neighborhood well for more than a century. The site was originally home to the Belmont Cricket Club, an exclusive private organization, until the city acquired it in 1913. The development of the public park reflected changing attitudes about a municipality’s responsibility for the well-being of its residents, both mind and body. The property is on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, and the library — the last of Philadelphia’s libraries funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie — is designated a significant contributing building within a Thematic Historic District. Renovations to the buildings and site improvements that address 21st-century needs ensure that this vital cultural and recreational resource can be enjoyed for another hundred years. KMA led the design team, addressing deferred maintenance, code-compliance upgrades and universal accessibility issues. Each building received a new roof, insulation and windows, making them watertight and more energy efficient. Exterior masonry was cleaned, repointed and restored. The historic interiors were carefully renewed with new lighting, fresh paint, finishes and furnishings. The Kingsessing Park project is a transformative, community-driven investment that creates a safe, enjoyable and unifying space for the entire neighborhood.

PROJECT: Kingsessing Library & Recreation Center

LOCATION: Southwest Philadelphia

CLIENT: City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Free Library of Philadelphia

PROJECT SIZE: 11,400 square feet (inside); 9.2 acres (site)

PROJECT TEAM:

Kelly Maiello Architects (Architecture and Interior Design)

SALT Design Studio (Landscape Design)

ALD LLC (Lighting Design)

Pennoni (MEP/FP, Civil Engineering)

Pennoni with WZG Engineers (Structural Engineering)

Becker & Frondorf (Cost Estimator)

Smith Construction and Clemens Construction Company (General Contracting)

Jeffrey Totaro (Photographer)