Alvar Aalto's Library
Mount Angel Abbey Library Exterior
Mount Angel Abbey Library is housed in a world-renowned building designed by Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto. Aalto was approached by library director Fr. Barnabas Reasoner in the early 1960s, and agreed, because of his love of libraries and the special qualities of the Mount Angel Abbey site, to design the library for a nominal fee. The building was completely funded through the generosity of Howard and Jean Vollum, who also contributed to the library's endowment. The architecture of the Abbey Library reflects and shapes its spirit and purpose. The building's natural light illumines the multi-color bindings, offered on open stacks against a disciplined black and white background, softened by undulating curves and light colored wood. The structure, including three stories and a mezzanine, was completed in 1970. The entire library, with the exception of the bottom floor, is awash in natural light. The library seats 200 patrons in 30 closed and 40 open carrels. It accommodates a comfortable reading room with current issues of 600 periodicals, a music listening and group study room, large study tables on the ground floor, and sunlight study areas around the staircases. The library collection numbers over 250,000 volumes. The capacity of the building is 350,000 volumes and there is an unfinished, underground area of approximately 4,000 square feet which can be used for future expansion.
