Preserving Time

Church History Library will house timeless LDS archives, records

New facility is yet another timeless building near Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City. The project is aiming for LEED silver certification.

By Brad Fullmer

The innovative design and construction of the new five-story, 250,000-sq-ft Church History Library in Salt Lake City make the facility more than just an attractive venue for accessing the archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The building also is on track to receive a LEED silver certification.

“We wanted a building that would preserve the records of the (LDS) Church, be a great place for employees and missionaries to work and for patrons to use records, and would be a credit to the church and the community,” says Brent Thompson, director of Records Preservation for the Church History Department. “A more green building helps in all four areas.”

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Systems being commissioned include mechanical systems such as HVAC for library, office, archive and holding storage areas; fire-alarm systems that utilize an air-sampling smoke-detection system and sprinkled and inert gas-suppression systems; and constant and variable air volume air handlers with desiccant dehumidifiers.

Highlights of the library include cryogenic storage facilities, precise temperature and humidity control, and high-security holding and storage areas.

“The church’s commitment to attaining LEED certification for the Church History Library is a reflection of their long-term vision, and it underscores the leadership role the church plays on so many levels in the community,” adds Jim Bradburn, director of Sustainable Services at The RMH Group, a sustainable engineering services firm in Denver.

“The forward-looking design and focus on sustainability from the outset made achieving the high professional standards required for certification a fluid part of the process.”

Daylighting and the utilization of natural light was a major design consideration throughout the building.

View of southeast corner of the LDS Church history Library in downtown Salt Lake City.

“Improved lighting and indoor air quality allow customers to better use the records and be more comfortable while doing so,” Thompson says. “

The building’s occupants will experience healthier surroundings because many of the materials used in its construction are low in volatile organic compounds, says Dessa Fountaine of Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction Co., the general contractor on the $60-million-plus project.

“The filters in the mechanical systems eliminate allergens,” Fountaine says. “The wood used comes from forests that are harvested wisely and are replanted. A center will be included in the building to collect paper, plastics and metal products to be recycled. The landscaping designs and plumbing items will use less water, and the windows, blinds and insulation will preserve temperatures.”

In addition, records and archives will benefit from a system that filters outside air, so substances such as nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide are prevented from damaging stored materials.

The library is slated for LEED silver certification.

The building’s energy efficiency will allow the LDS Church History Department to maintain at a more sustainable cost the constant environment of 55 degrees Fahrenheit and 35 percent relative humidity necessary to preserve most records.

“The space we currently occupy wasn’t designed as an archival storage space,” Thompson says. “It doesn’t have fire protection; it doesn’t have seismic protection; and it doesn’t have adequate temperature, humidity and air quality control. The new building will provide answers to these problems.”

Elder Marlin K. Jensen, LDS Church historian and recorder, says the building “will rival the great libraries of the world with its facilities and collections. These documents are the crown jewels of Mormonism.”