A Sculptural Cube in Concrete: Hunters Point Library by Steven Holl Architects

With the newly opened Hunters Point Library on the East River, Steven Holl Architects have sent a clear signal in favour of public libraries and urgently needed community space. According to the architects the library, a vertically oriented structure covering an area of 2,050 m² and comprising intimate reading areas and social meeting points, rethinks the traditional library model.

The aluminum-coated, concrete shell of the building is more than a façade; it also serves as a load-bearing structure enabling a support-free sequence of spaces. “Sculpted cuts” in the form of fanciful glazed shapes reveal the people moving within the building and structure the individual sections in the library. Nonetheless, to a great extent the programmatic divisions are fluid.

Open stairways acting as bridge elements connect the bookshelves with the digital workspaces and the Rooftop Reading Terrace, which offers a view of the Manhattan skyline. While a ground-floor auditorium located beneath the main part of the structure serves as a gathering place and venue for events, the east wing of the Hunters Point Library is home to a reading garden with gingko trees.

Further information: 

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

Landscape Architect: Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates
Structural Engineer: Silman
Mep Engineer: ICOR Associates
Lighting Design: L’Observatoire International
Leed Consultant: ADS Engineers
Civil Engineer: Langan Engineering & Environmental Services
Fire Technical Consultant: Rolf Jensen & Assoc.

Cost Estimator: Davis Langdon
Specifications: Construction Specifications Inc.
Climate Engineers: Transsolar