New York has a brand new public library that has been thoughtfully designed as a modern civic structure that will be an inspiring place for learning.
Hunters Point Community Library is a six-storey building on a waterfront site along the East River in Hunter's Point, Queens. The idea for a library here was first suggested by local community members in 1988, and they formed a committee to try to make it happen and it has now become a reality.
Designed by Steven Holl Architects, its features include designer furniture by Eames and Jean Prouvé and an art installation by Julianne Swartz. The $41.5m (€38.06m) development has a silvery finish and offers views of Midtown Manhattan, and it's the 217th public library in New York, where libraries attract 37.7m people each year.
The 22,000-square-feet building has a rooftop patio with tiered seating and a public park. It has free Wi-Fi and a collection of 50,000 books, and a series of different reading rooms and spaces tailored to adults, children and teenagers. This includes a cyber centre with 32 desktop computers and 12 laptops, and a dedicated floor for teenagers with a video gaming area and an event space.
The library is also home to the Hunters Point Environmental Center, an all-age programme about plant and marine life, recycling, pollution and composting. A mezzanine above the ground floor contains an adult reading section and a children's area, which has an early childhood area with toys and board books and regular programming.
Many of the reading rooms are designed as open spaces with ample natural light, and there's a glassed-in quiet room. The interior is in a two-colour palette of bamboo wood and silver/grey, and magazines can be read in a terraced reading area that has couch seating and tables.
For further information on Hunters Point Community Library, please see here.
