The Brutalist Library: Rereading Its Legacy and Reimagining the Future symposium explored the significance, technical challenges, and future adaptation strategies of the modernist public library. The event featured three panels: Historians discussed the evolving role of libraries in the digital age and their spatial needs, Librarians discussed the evolving role of libraries in the digital age and their spatial needs, and Architects addressed technical challenges and innovative solutions for renovating iconic structures. We also offered tours of the UMass Boston campus and the UMass Boston Healey Library, and an open discussion between attendees and panelists.

The UMass Boston campus master plan and recent renovations of existing campus buildings, including the Healey Library, offered a unique opportunity to elevate the role of public architecture and how it adapts to the changing context of academia. By fostering dialogue among faculty, librarians, historians, and members from allied professions such as architects, engineers, contractors, along with the broader campus community and the general public. The symposium aimed to create a dynamic, cross-disciplinary conversation among all participants on how we may celebrate, conserve, and provide stewardship for our modernist and brutalist buildings for now and in the future.

The Brutalist Library Symposium Program