Features

All renderings via Mecanoo

From Future New York Check out NYPL's improved Mid-Manhattan library branch ahead of its spring reopening

By Michelle Mazzarella Thursday, March 5, 2020

Anthony Marx, President and CEO of the New York Public Library, has acknowledged that the Mid-Manhattan branch has never lived up to the magnificent, Beaux-Arts Stephen A. Schwarzman Building across the street. However, nearly three years after closing for renovations, a new master plan by Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle is set to give the landmarked building a run for its money. The library will open its doors in May 2020 with the new name Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), in honor of the foundation’s gift of $55 million. (For perspective, this was second only to Mr. Schwarzman’s $100 million donation.)

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The branch prior to its facelift and expansion via Mecanoo

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The facade has been beautifully cleaned up, and an addition with a copper rooftop, to be one of the only free public roof terraces in Midtown, matches surrounding buildings in terms of materiality. Construction of the addition topped out in September 2018, and work on the interiors began that same year. This commenced after the builders analyzed library usage data, surveyed the public, and met with community stakeholders.

The Long Room

Main entrance on Fifth Avenue

Library interiors before and after

The centerpiece of the SNFL will be the “Long Room,” an open, atrium-inspired wall of browsable shelving spanning several stories. One full floor will be dedicated to children’s books and programming. There will be a separate library for teens as well as teen study rooms, recording studio, and media lab. Elsewhere in the library, an employment skills center will occupy an entire floor with an adjacent floor offering job-search help and small business support. An adult learning center will provide career service, English language and literary assistance, and media and technology training. Moreover, the roof terrace will host an event center and cafe.

With more than 1.7 million visits a year and an annual circulation of more than two million items, the Mid-Manhattan branch had the New York Public Library’s highest circulation figures prior to the renovation. Those numbers are sure to go up in the wake of this gorgeous renovation and expansive, user-friendly new interiors.