Featured Project: Lanier Theological Library

While not a Bible college, Seminary, or Church, the Lanier Theological Library & Learning Center serves as a facilitator bringing all kinds of people and entities together from across Texas and around the world. The library is the project of the Lanier Family Foundation and Trowbridge Village and draws together academics and faith with a focus on biblical research, theological education, and ministry training.

Daily, students and scholars alike come to the Lanier Library to make use of more than 110,000 volumes, studying the Bible, ancient languages and cultures, theology, church history, apologetics, and more. The Lanier Learning Center serves to equip and encourage those serving in the Academy and through the local Church. Neighboring Trowbridge Village provides comfortable accommodations for seasons of study, and a peaceful place of rest and renewal for residents and guests alike.

Likewise, the design of the building is focused and purposeful. Reggio Register was pleased to help the design of the library come together.

Inspired by Oxford University

The Great Hall of the library is by far the most stunning part of the building. Itwas inspired by the dining hall at Christ Church College, Oxford University. The hall at Christ Church was also the inspiration of the Harry Potter film’s Hogwarts, which is why so many make that connection but there that was not the intention.

The Great Hall seats more than 400 guests in three long rows of tables, with a head table on the platform. It is used for academic lectures, training conferences, and special events of all kinds. The room is 115 feet long and 40 feet wide, with an interior vaulted ceiling nearly four stories tall. The windows are made of the translucent stone, alabaster, quarried and shipped from Spain specifically for this application.

The vent covers by Reggio Register are in the Scroll pattern in Black. “This pattern and color fit best with the old-world feel that complemented our design and the feel of the building,” said a library representative.

Though the space’s design is meant to hearken back to another time, every effort was made to provide modern conveniences such as a 40-foot-wide LED video wall for state-of-the-art presentations during conferences and events. 

Purposely Non-Standard

The vent covers in throughout the building are not of a consistent size or shape. This was not to accommodate the HVAC system, it was done on purpose to replicate the building style of Oxford in England.

“We wanted to avoid a standard size and shape, as if they had all been made and installed at the same time. Buildings in England were built over many years, centuries even, so there wouldn’t have been the consistency we see in modern buildings. Reggio understood the design and worked with us to customize accordingly,” said a library representative.

Mark Lanier of the Lanier Family Foundation, designed the Library & Learning Center down to the last detail. Everything in the space was done with purpose and intention.


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