The new addition to the NYPL Stapleton Branch | Andrew Berman Architect
Sure, nowadays you can read books on your smartphone, tablet, or Kindle, and you can do research on the Internet. But a library is more than just a warehouse for free books. It provides everyone equal access to books, computers, Internet access, job search tools, and spaces for community events.
Stapleton is a community that is on the rise. So, starting in 2010, the Stapleton branch of the New York Public Library got the upgrade it needed to keep up with the times.
Reading room | Andrew Berman Architect via Lancia Trend Visions
The Stapleton branch has existed for over one hundred years. In its former state it was a one story, brick and limestone building built with donations from Andrew Carnegie. The library closed for renovations in 2010 and reopened in 2013 with a 7,000 square-foot annex added onto the original building. The new library features reading rooms, lounges, ADA accessibility, 40 new public access computers, 10 laptops available for patron use, WiFi capability, and a multipurpose community room. A mix of the old and the new makes the library a striking addition to Stapleton’s changing landscape.
“We sought to create a library that is an inviting and dignified public space for the community,” said architect Andrew Berman. “The original Carnegie Library has been restored and repurposed as the Children’s Reading Room. The open, daylight-filled new addition houses the teen and adult collections as well as extensive digital media. Together, this library is a unified whole that embraces the NYPL’s history and its future as a vital public institution.”
Businesses Mentioned Above
[blankslate_pages id=”d53a0c4796e887″ type=”card” show_photo=”true” utm_content=””][/blankslate_pages]
