A Family Tradition: Reimagining the Westlink Library By RANDY REID Photo Credit: Martin Haney Randomized linear “pick-up sticks” lighting from Lumination adds visual depth while maintaining uniform illumination across the book stacks.
On a quiet morning in Wichita, architect Martin Hanney stood beneath the familiar concrete façade of the Westlink Library—a building he had known since college. About five decades earlier, his father, William Hanney, and partner Thomas Sanders of the firm Hanney-Sanders designed the original 10,000-square-foot structure, using the same exposed concrete, stone, and angled geometries found next door in the St. Francis church. The commission to renovate and expand it to 20,000 square feet wasn’t just another project. For Martin, it was a chance to continue a family story—one written in concrete, daylight, and, this time, light itself.
A Brutalist Shell, Reawakened
The original design faced north, leaving its primary street frontage in permanent shadow. “The entrance always felt lackluster,” Martin said, recalling how the façade never quite invited visitors in. The challenge was to brighten the building without altering its historic materials. The existing rustication joints—deep horizontal and diagonal grooves in the concrete—became the perfect opportunity.
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designing lighting
Martin searched for a thin LED profile that could nest seamlessly within the joints. He ultimately selected Neoflux Pro-L by Prizm, an exterior-rated linear product with six-inch addressable RGBW segments controlled through an NX Lighting Controls CX panel by Current. The strips follow the building’s distinctive 15-degree angles, subtly guiding visitors toward the entrance. At night, the light reflects in the glass, creating a doubled pattern—architecture multiplied through illumination. Originally envisioned as static white segments, the dynamic capabilities of the chosen fixture opened new possibilities. Color, dimming, animation—even if Martin preferred keeping the building’s expression understated, the system provided flexibility for future programming. “It gave the opportunity to do a lot of things,” he said.
Circles Under a Square Sky
Inside, light becomes the primary tool for redefining space. At the central reading area, a square skylight left a geometric imprint on the ceiling. Martin responded by introducing