2-Attachment 4 Building a Legacy Fort Worth Dwn Lib.pdf
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- Attached to
- PW - STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR CITY OF FORT WORTH DESIGN SERVICES DOWNTOWN LIBRARY
- Solicitation number
- 26-0325
- Issued by
- Tarrant County, Texas
About this file
This is a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) document for architectural design services issued by the City of Fort Worth, Texas, for the development of a new Downtown Library. The City seeks qualified architectural firms to provide comprehensive design services for an approximately 22,000 to 30,000 square foot library facility to be constructed on the 900 Block of Summit Street. The scope of work includes program development, architectural and engineering design, audio-visual and security drawing coordination with City IT staff, budget estimation and compilation, and furniture, furnishings, and equipment recommendations. The project scope also encompasses demolition of three existing structures, associated retaining walls, and existing parking areas, which must be coordinated with the overall design and incorporated into construction documents. Additionally, green site improvements, including landscape design, stormwater management, pedestrian circulation, and outdoor-use features, should be integrated into the design to support sustainability goals. Community listening sessions are scheduled for December 2026 to ensure the final design reflects the diverse needs of Fort Worth residents. The selected firm must balance innovative design with efficient, proactive engagement and delivery to meet the project's ambitious timeline.
The project operates under an estimated construction budget of $25,000,000. The City intends to solicit competitive bids from qualified general contractors to perform construction based on the plans and specifications developed by the selected design firm. The project is positioned within Fort Worth's broader development context, which includes over $2.8 billion in downtown development initiatives, including commuter rail infrastructure, a Tier 1 research university complex, a 300-plus acre urban waterfront development, and an expanded convention center. The library is intended to serve over one million residents and will feature flexible spaces, on-site parking, and architectural elements incorporating natural light, greenery, and biophilic design principles. The selected firm should be prepared to deliver a destination library that aligns with Fort Worth's positioning as "the unexpected city" and maintains consistency with other iconic architectural landmarks in the area, including the Kimbell Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
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Building a Legacy:
A Vision for Our New Library
This project will be the fourth iteration of a downtown library in Fort Worth since the first Carnegie library opened in 1901. The Carnegie library was outgrown and followed in 1939 by an Art Deco-inspired building funded by the Public Works Administration during the Great Depression. As the demand continued to grow, that building was replaced in 1978 with a subterranean central library that was expanded to the street level in the 1990s. As the needs of our community have shifted once again, it is time to reimagine what a true destination library can mean for our city.
HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE
A unique opportunity is at hand in Fort Worth for an inspired architect willing to embrace the modern-day maverick mentality to design a flagship public library that can capture the industrious and invigorating spirit of the 10th-largest city in the United States.
The Fort Worth Public Library is building upon a 125-year legacy of cultural impact with a new flagship library in downtown that will meet the community’s desire for the a destination and a work of art for our great city.
Some call us Cowtown, others Panther City or Funkytown, but we’ve come to embrace what legendary actor Jimmy Stewart once called Fort Worth: “the unexpected city.”
Larger than San Francisco, Seattle, Nashville and Washington, D.C., Fort Worth is a pioneering city that is home to more than a million people who are finding ways to blaze new trails every day. Fort Worthians want a destination library that will stand apart as a beacon of civic pride.
There is a city where potential is born, legacies are built, and history is still being written.
And that city is Fort Worth, Texas.
City leadership has purchased an entire city block to dedicate to this project that should reflect innovative, versatile design that will allow this building to stand the test of time and adapt to the evolving needs of a diverse community. Esthetically artistic and impressive, this building should also be able to welcome residents as well as guests from around the world.
This new library will sit amid a historic neighborhood where cattle barons, banking magnates and the social elite once built their mansions at the turn of the 1900s. Today, this area serves as a gateway from our downtown corridor into our cultural district.
Other architectural signature landmarks in Fort Worth include the Kimbell Art Museum designed by the legendary Louis Kahn, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth designed by globally renowned Tadao Ando and the Fort Worth Water Gardens designed by acclaimed architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee. All these iconic locations are merely minutes from the site for the new library’s location downtown, as are Queen Anne-inspired historic mansions, Art Deco skyscrapers and the winding Trinity River.
In this unique position, we want a library that is iconic, impressive and inspiring. We want a destination library that will live up to the high standards set by other institutions that call Fort Worth home.
While we do not wish to predetermine the architectural vision or limit the creative exploration this project deserves, we encourage you to consider design approaches that bring natural light, greenery, and elements of biophilic design into the experience of the building, potentially creating a sense of park‑like calm or an oasis within the urban core. These ideas are offered as inspiration, not prescription; we look forward to seeing how you interpret the spirit of the site and the aspirations of our community. We are also especially interested in creative solutions that address the challenges of operating a public building in an urban area.
To ensure the final design reflects the diverse needs and hopes of Fort Worth residents, the selected firm must be prepared to conduct community listening sessions in December 2026. Our project timeline is ambitious, and we seek a partner who can balance innovative design thinking with efficient, proactive engagement and delivery.
FUTURE
FOCUSED
There is currently more than $2.8 billion in the development pipeline for Downtown Fort Worth, which will invigorate the city center. This includes commuter rail infrastructure, a Tier 1 research university complex, a 300+ acre urban waterfront development and an expanded Fort Worth Convention Center.
This is the opportunity to leave a mark on the landscape of flourishing city and become a part of the legacy of where the west begins.
INVESTMENT
IN GROWTH
DESTINATION LIBRARY SERVING
1 Million+ Residents
Estimated 22-30,000 sq ft
Flexible Spaces On-site Parking
Estimated $25 Million Budget
CONTACT: Nikita.Watts@fortworthtexas.gov
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