Lawrence Public Library, pictured Aug. 20, 2015.

A Lawrence architecture firm was nationally recognized Tuesday for its renovation and expansion of the Lawrence Public Library — which judges called “quite remarkable” and an “ingenious transformation.”

Gould Evans, which designed the library, was one of seven firms nationwide to receive a joint award from the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association. The library got attention from national publications following Tuesday’s announcement, with photos of the library appearing at Tech Insider and Huffington Post.

The news release from the American Institute of Architects states the library was rehabilitated from “book repository to multimedia community hub.”

It “reflects the evolution of the library’s role — transforming a 1970s Brutalist-style library on all sides, emphasizing places of spontaneous gathering, reflection and learning,” a release from Gould Evans reads.

The new library, at 707 Vermont St., opened in summer 2014 after an $18 million renovation and 20,000-square-foot expansion.

Judges of the contest complimented the library’s reading room that wraps the facility, as well as the outdoor reading garden and performance spaces.

“I’m just so proud of the vision they had; it’s just phenomenal what they’ve done,” said library director Brad Allen. “It’s truly a masterpiece of a library building, and I hope people see the value and what we can do here in Lawrence.”

Other libraries recognized with the award were: Billings Public Library in Billings, Mont.; Chicago Public Library; Hennepin County Walker Library in Minneapolis; Renton Public Library in Renton, Wash.; Ryerson University Student Learning Center in Toronto, Canada; and the Sawyer Library in Williamstown, Mass.