Belgrade Library and Community Center: Dialogue between brick and wood

Belgrade Library, Thermo spruce, UTS 17-5x92, brushed, 2025

In 2024, the city of Belgrade opened a new 2,500-square-meter library and community center designed by 45 Architecture & Interiors. The expanded facility includes a children's area, a teen lounge, makerspace, study rooms and a board room, a commercial kitchen, and a large community hall.

The building has been carefully designed to reflect the atmosphere of two different areas. The architect of the project describes the relationship between the building and its surroundings as follows:

“The project is sited at the confluence of a historic downtown district and a large public park with views to the Bridger mountains. The building responds to each in a meaningful way. One side of the building is intended to be a modern interpretation of the historic downtown district with brick being the primary exterior material. The park facing side of the building is intended to be more organic in material and form - of the park and landscape beyond, making wood the perfect material choice.”

“The main entrance to the building is on the ‘historic’ side. As one moves down the main hallway of the building, towards the park, the interior of the building becomes more organic – similar to the exterior. The terminus of this hallway, at the park side entrance, is called ‘Valley of the Flowers’ – which is what indigenous people used to call the Gallatin Valley.”

Location: Belgrade Library & Community Center

Completion year: 2024

Products used: Nordic Exterior cladding panel: thermally modified , UTS 17.5 x 92, stained oil 318R

Category: Exterior cladding

Belgrade library historic downtown district with brick being the primary exterior material.
Belgrade library: The park facing side of the building.

Siparila supplied the wood cladding for the park-facing façade, where the material brings warmth, texture, and a strong connection to nature. In Montana’s demanding climate, performance was just as important as appearance. As the architect puts it “Montana has a very harsh climate- the long term durability of thermally modified wood was a huge selling point for us and the client.”

From an installation perspective, the wood cladding system supported both the architectural vision and the construction process. According to the supervisor of the installation crew, “The install went together really well, the hidden fasteners got covered by the next piece even if you had to slightly adjust it for keeping it plumb ,also it went around the radius walls beautifully!”

Belgrade Library park side rounded corner created with thermally modified wooden cladding.

The detailing of the material itself stood out during installation. “Favorite feature would be the tongue in grove all the way around each piece, this feature made the joints look awesome.” Even in more complex conditions, including curved walls, the system performed consistently. "My advice is a little bit of common sense but start your first piece perfectly plumb or level and then check it every 4-6 feet, for me it stayed plumb with very little adjustment even around the radius walls, which was a pleasant surprise"

The Belgrade Library & Community Center demonstrates how thoughtful material selection, responsive design, and precise execution can come together to create a public building that feels both grounded in its history and open to its landscape. We’re proud to have contributed wood cladding that helps bring this vision to life.