Snøhetta has just completed the Far Rockaway Library in Queens, New York, an 18,000-square-foot visually striking building that is covered in fritted, orange ombre glass scored with white script from Brooklyn artist José Parlá. This new library replaces a smaller library that sat on the site and doubles the footprint of this facility.
The library is triangular in shape and the facade wraps around the corner site. Prominent architectural features include flat sections cut from back corners, as well as a pyramid slice above the entrance. The ground floor of the building contains a lobby, an information desk, a teen area, and administrative offices. The second floor has separate adult and children areas, as well as a quiet room.
The sunsets that are so copious across the coastline of this region inspire the bright orange facade, while the mural by Parlá represents New York City’s writing culture. The mural translates everyday words and languages found within the landscape of the city into a predominantly indecipherable code, echoing a movement in which young artists sought beauty in written forms during the 1960s and 1970s.
Internally, there is the atrium in the form of a reversal of an inverted pyramidal structure that lets natural light flood inside and recreates an atmosphere of depth and immersion within the space for readers. Concrete columns at an angle give uniqueness to this spatial configuration. Flexible clusters of chairs, tables, and bookcases around the atrium ensure that this becomes a social hub-the library.
Additional design elements consist of a dichroic glass railing along the staircase and orange metal fins descending from the skylight. A mural by Mexican artist Pablo Helguera, inspired by Far Rockaway native Richard Feynman, also affords the interior a thematic base to build upon.
This new library, originally earmarked as a disaster relief center after the experience of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, will help to energize the community by fostering unity and service delivery in Far Rockaway.
Read More: https://homendecormagazine.com/
