IM Pei library

The goal of the library and library plaza project was to transform this area of the city and encourage residents to spend time downtown.

To accomplish this, the architect suggested the closing of Lafayette Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Street.

When architect Pei was chosen to create the library, he decided to relate to and recognize the design of the First Christian Church, directly across the street, and the historic Irwin House to the east.

Pei later went on to great fame, and is especially known for his renovation of the Louvre Museum in Paris, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.