Steven Holl Architects has completed a new public library in New York's Long Island City featuring flowing cuts on the facade to reflect the movement of people inside and frame expansive views of the Manhattan skyline. The building has been opened to the public last week. 

Named Hunters Point Library, the building, covering a minimum footprint, is located on a prominent site along the East River, against the backdrop of rapidly built skyscraper condominiums in Hunter's Point, Queens. 

The 22,000-square-foot (2,044-square-metre) building comprises a library with adult reading collection, children's area, teen area, cybercenter, conference room and outdoor amphitheater.

Steven Holl Architects' design resists recent trends of incorporating public libraries and much-needed social space within high-end residential towers, the Hunters Point Library stands independently, rising with a minimal footprint on its 32,000 square foot (2,973 meter squares) site to offer maximum surrounding green space to the local community and becoming an integrated part of the vibrant public park that lines the river’s edge.

"It is an honor to imagine and realize this community library, a free open public building where people can interact across generations. We hope it is a gift to this great city and its future children," said Steven Holl.

"The vertical structure reimagines the traditional library model, providing diversity of spaces from intimate reading areas to active gathering spaces," said Steven Holl Architects. 

"The building’s aluminum-painted concrete shell is not just a facade but a load-bearing structure, which omits curtain walls and columns. Sculpted cuts are carved out of the facade, showing the movement of people within and framing expansive views of the Manhattan skyline."

Image courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

The program's separation into children's area, teen area and adult area can be read in the sculpted cuts of the east face of the building, one facade opening for each area; yet the programmatic divisions are fluid. Inside, warm bamboo creates an inviting social space, open to the community and offering engaging spaces for all ages. Natural light enters through the large windows from all sides, animating the space.

The digital and the book are merged through the bookshelves and adjacent digital workstations that flow upward along a series of open stairs. A ground-level auditorium under the main section provides public meeting and events space. 

The stairs switch back from mezzanine to mezzanine, connecting reading areas and concluding in a rooftop reading terrace with views of the city and the river.

Image courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

While the plan is compact, the building section of the new library is open and flowing to allow for the most energy-efficient design and the greatest amount of public green space on the site. On the east entrance side, the library faces a reading garden bordered by a low park office pavilion with a bosque of ginkgo trees.

Image courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

At night the glowing presence of the Hunters Point Library along the waterfront joins the Pepsi sign and the "Long Island" sign at the old Gantry to become a beacon for this new community place.

Image courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

Image courtesy of Steven Holl Architects

Site plan

Roof plan

Floor plans

Floor plans

Sections-1

Sections-2

Elevations-1

Elevations-2

Steven Holl's Hunters Point Library was realized as part of a major masterplan in Queens where SWA/Balsley, Weiss/Manfredi and Arup completed the Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park for phase 2. 

Steven Holl Architects currently completed the Kennedy Center with inclined concrete pavilions in Washington D.C. and the Glassell School Of Art at Museum Of Fine Arts' campus in Houston. 

Project facts

Program: Library with adult reading collection, children's area, teen area, cybercenter, conference room and outdoor amphitheater

Client: Queens Public Library, New York City Department of Design and Construction

Size: 22,000 sq ft

Status: complete

Client: Queens Public Library, New York City Department of Design and Construction

Lead architects: Steven Holl (design architect, principal), Chris McVoy (senior partner in charge),
Olaf Schmidt (senior associate in charge), Filipe Taboada (project architect, associate), Suk Lee (project architect CA)

Project team: Bell Ying Yi Cai, Rychiee Espinosa, JongSeo Lee, Maki Matsubayashi, Michael Rusch, Dominik Sigg, Yasmin Vobis, Jeanne Wellinger

Landscape architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates

Structural engineer: Silman

Mechanical, electrical engineer: ICOR Associates

Lighting design: L'Observatoire International

LEED consultant: ADS Engineers

Civil engineer: Langan Engineering & Environmental Services

Fire technician consultant: Rolf Jensen & Assoc

Cost estimator: Davis Langdon

Specifications: Construction Specifications Inc

Climate engineer: Transsolar

All images © Paul Warchol unless otherwise stated.

All drawings © Steven Holl Architects 

> via Steven Holl Architects