The Williams College Bookstore is designed to animate and invigorate Spring Street, the main thoroughfare in town, welcoming the community and the college into this dynamic and inviting new retail venue. The first two levels feature trade books, magazines, text books, clothing, giftware and a third wave coffee shop while the third level houses 5,000 square feet of leased office space. The Bookstore is a place for retail activity and social engagement, offering a variety of programming, including author readings, book signings, children`s activities, and community meetings. Carefully designed to respect the established cadence of buildings along the street, the scale and massing continues the tradition of three-to-fivestory commercial properties on Spring Street. The footprint occupies approximately half of the overall site and allows for generous green open space, an outdoor seating terrace and areas for vehicular off site loading. Brick exterior and wood siding, infused with a twenty-first century vibe, recalls the traditions of vernacular materials along Spring Street. Celebrating the corner through the careful cant of the façade, the design builds a rhythm of natural materials and scale of openings. The Bookstore is a 15,000 sf contemporary building that faces the future, while respecting local heritage and infusing new vitality to Williamstown. The building is LEED Platinum Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
