Library wins People's Choice Orchid award for architecture

SAN DIEGO – The new Fallbrook Library was recently named the People’s Choice Orchid award winner by the San Diego Architectural Foundation at its annual Orchids and Onions awards presentation highlighting good (and bad) building design.

A judge’s panel picks most of the Orchids and Onions, but online voting determines the People’s Choice award. After receiving multiple nominations, the Fallbrook Library received the most votes from a field of finalists.

“I’m not surprised the library won an architectural award based on popular voting,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Horn said. “The people of Fallbrook had so much input into this library’s design. They’re extremely proud of the welcoming, functional and attractive place it has become.”

The brightly-colored library on the corner of South Mission Road and East Alvarado Street opened in January. The building is a celebration of local art, culture and ideas, with sculptures, lithographs, gates, and mosaics by local artists built into its structure. The library is an integral element of Fallbrook’s community vision of having East Alvarado Street serve as an “arts corridor” and is rightfully situated near the Fallbrook Arts Center and School of Arts.

“We wanted to build something with sizzle and pop,” said County Library Director Jose Aponte. “We saw an opportunity to build a library that would be a part of Fallbrook’s cultural identity while functioning as a center for civic engagement and transformation. It’s a one-of-a-kind library.”

The Fallbrook Library was fashioned by the design build team of C.W. Driver - Builders; Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects - Architects of Record; and Manuel Oncina - Design Architect. The library design incorporated the ideas and needs expressed by the community and the Friends of the Fallbrook Library.

The new library cost about $11million; with the Fallbrook Friends of the Library contributing about $2 million and the County $9 million.