East County Library
Multnomah County Library’s new East County Library will have a major presence in its neighborhood, providing a place for residents to access new community resources.
Project Details
Location
Gresham, OR
Client
Multnomah County Library
Year Completed
Anticipated 2026
Project Size
95,000 sq. ft.
Certification
Targeting LEED Gold certification
Land Recognition
We have a responsibility to not only acknowledge but also elevate Native communities and their needs. This project sits in the area currently known as Portland, which encompasses the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes who made their homes along the Columbia River. On this project, we worked with Multnomah County Library’s Indigenous Outreach Specialists and connected with both the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) and Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) for feedback on shaping a Native-friendly library.
Educating ourselves is an important action. We encourage you to explore the stories of these communities through Native-led resources like David G. Lewis, PhD’s The Quartux Journal and Leading with Tradition.
A New Community Landmark
East County Library will be an exciting new library as part of the Multnomah County Library system, providing exciting new resources and programs within its 95,000 square feet. The building will be similar in size to the Central Library located in downtown Portland but in a location that is easily accessible for all East County residents. The project is transforming an underutilized parking lot on the corner of NW Division Street and NW Eastman Parkway into a new space for learning, gathering, and connection. The mass timber building’s landmark design blends into the natural landscape and patterns of the Pacific Northwest, creating a thoughtful beacon that will serve community members for future generations. The Civic Hub on the north edge of the site will be a new space for events and markets, complementing Gresham City Hall and Plaza, which sit across the light rail tracks. A linear, tree-filled pedestrian pathway will link the Civic Hub and TriMet’s MAX Light Rail Service to a terraced entry plaza on Division and TriMet’s FX Bus Line.
Engaging & Exploratory Spaces
The building’s program forms a gradient of uses from engaging to exploratory to focused. To the west, the main entries and an array of active programming engage the central pedestrian path, including a makerspace, 230-seat auditorium, indoor-outdoor children’s play area, and dedicated teen space. This active zone intersects a more exploratory zone at the library’s core with its vast collection of books and specialized programming, from community and sensory rooms to an audio-visual recording studio. Finally, comfortable, window-lined seating defines the east side of the building for a more focused reading zone and workspace, completing this programmatic gradient.
Wonder, Refuge, & Exploration
The new East County Library emulates a sense of wonder, refuge, and exploration that the Pacific Northwest’s forests evoke. Inspired by Native architecture, the design is connected to place in its use of local, natural materials. Mass timber forms the structure of the building from columns to roofline, matched by a wood-filled interior of paneled walls, storefronts, and balustrades.
We’re dreaming big, and the new East County Library is going to be something unique and meaningful…this library will be beautiful, accessible and representative of the people of East County.— Vailey Oehlke, Former Director of Libraries
A Vibrant Children's Hub
We heard input from parents that a large children’s area with indoor and outdoor play space would be a great community resource. The library will feature a generous outdoor play area and a flexible indoor play space with a youth program room for story time and other children’s activities.
Community Engagement Process
Community engagement has provided critical feedback to the design team from the beginning of this project. By working collaboratively with Multnomah County Library, we collected valuable input on what spaces were needed and desired in addition to required program elements. The design of each space was influenced by the librarians who work in these spaces every day, community members, and future patrons. We engaged directly with East County community members through three core approaches: attending local community events, hosting compensated focus groups, and through the ongoing participation of our community Library Champions: El Programa Hispano Católico, and Black Economic Collective, along with working with Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA NW) on the Civic Hub. County-wide feedback was collected via three surveys: a general library design survey, an art survey, and an accessibility survey.
Versatile Programming
The new East County Library is full of program spaces that will serve the community in a variety of ways. The auditorium will be one of the few performance or lecture hall spaces in the area. Community members are excited about having a space where they could see a TED Talk, attend a book signing, or go to a cultural celebration. The audio-visual studio will house both video recording equipment and sound/music editing tools. Several community rooms of various sizes will be flexible spaces that can be reserved at no cost by patrons for studying, hosting gatherings, or attending virtual meetings. The maker space will be the largest in the library system and will hold equipment such as laser cutters, sticker makers, embroidery and sewing machines, 3D printers, and more. The teen space will have media nooks for watching videos or gaming, as well as flexible seating for lounging and reading and space to have small showcases or performances. Community members expressed interest in having a quiet reading space, which will be a space to get away from the activity in the rest of the lively library spaces. Additionally, there will be an indoor and outdoor play area for children, and easily accessible all-user bathrooms and lactation rooms.
East County Library is designed to support people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. With its unique and flexible programming spaces, it will be a place for everyone to enjoy. East County Library will be unlike any library currently in Multnomah County.
East County Library was designed by Holst in collaboration with Adjaye Associates through Design Development.
