Chinatown Branch
🏢 Chicago Public Library · Chicago, Illinois
Chinatown Branch
An award-winning, pebble-shaped civic landmark designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the Chinatown Branch opened in 2015 with a feng-shui-guided triangular form and a daylit two-story atrium that anchors the neighborhood at 2100 S. Wentworth Avenue.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 12pm–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 12pm–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 2100 S. Wentworth Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312) 747-8013
Website: chipublib.org
Plus Code: 86HJV939+G4 (Chicago, IL)
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📖 About Chinatown Branch
The Chinatown Branch at 2100 S. Wentworth Avenue opened on August 29, 2015, replacing an earlier storefront branch and giving Chicago's Chinatown its first purpose-built library. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the 16,000-square-foot building takes a softened, triangular "pebble" shape that follows the acute angle where Wentworth Avenue and Archer Avenue converge — avoiding sharp corners in keeping with feng shui principles — and organizes its two floors around a central, skylit atrium modeled on a traditional Chinese courtyard. The design earned an AIA/ALA Library Building Award and an AIA Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture. The branch serves Chicago Public Library's South Side communities with Chinese-language books and media, bilingual Teacher in the Library tutoring in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese (Monday–Thursday 3:30–6 pm), and meeting and study rooms for community use.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Opened August 29, 2015 — Chinatown's first purpose-built public library building
- Award-winning Skidmore, Owings & Merrill design (AIA/ALA Library Building Award; AIA Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture)
- Triangular 'pebble' form guided by feng shui, avoiding sharp corners where Wentworth and Archer Avenues meet
- Skylit two-story central atrium inspired by a traditional Chinese courtyard
- Bilingual Teacher in the Library tutoring in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese — Monday through Thursday
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Chinatown Branch cardholders can stream, download, research, and learn for free through CPL's digital collections:
📚 Services
- Chinese-language circulating books, DVDs and audiobooks
- Bilingual Teacher in the Library tutoring (English, Mandarin & Cantonese) — Mon–Thu 3:30–6 pm
- Citizenship Corner resources supporting naturalization
- Meeting and study rooms available for reservation
- Public computers, scanner, printing and free Wi-Fi
- Internet to Go — Wi-Fi hotspot lending
- Mental health and social services referrals
- ADA-accessible workstations with assistive technology
- Kids Museum Passport (Chicago Public Library) — reserve free passes to 15+ area museums and cultural institutions
🎸 Programs
- Teacher in the Library bilingual homework help
- CyberNavigator technology tutoring
- Children's storytimes and youth programming
- Adult programs and community events
- Summer Reading Program
📍 Nearby Libraries in Chicago
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Chinatown Branch shaped like a pebble?
Its rounded triangular footprint follows the acute angle where Wentworth Avenue meets Archer Avenue, with curved edges that avoid sharp corners in keeping with feng shui principles. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and opened in 2015, the building organizes its 16,000 square feet around a central skylit atrium modeled on a traditional Chinese courtyard.
What awards has the Chinatown Branch won?
The branch received an AIA/ALA Library Building Award and an AIA Institute Honor Award for Interior Architecture — both recognizing architectural excellence in library design — and is frequently cited as one of Chicago's finest recent civic buildings.
Does the Chinatown Branch offer tutoring or homework help in Chinese?
Yes. Through the Teacher in the Library program, bilingual tutors are available Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 6 pm, offering homework help in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese for school-age children.
What are the Chinatown Branch's late-night hours?
The branch stays open until 8 pm on Monday and Wednesday, and until 6 pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday hours are 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday is 1 to 5 pm.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.