Kingsbridge Branch, New York Public Library
291 West 231 Street at
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recession, funding shortfalls, and rising construction costs, delayed its completion for a decade. This left area residents hoping for its eventual opening in the overcrowded, older branch library then still across the street.
The site of the current Kingsbridge Branch library was a vacant lot before it was purchased from the synagogue, Kingsbridge Center of Israel, by NYPL. Its two-story, 12,625 foot facility, was designed by Prendergast Laurel Architects which also handled the Sedgwick Branch commission. The Kingsbridge library, is the first NYPL branch to feature a "green" roof with a storm water retention system. It is double the size of its predecessor and has large 25 foot high floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing south and east, assuring much natural light for users. External metal brise-soleil helps protect against harmful solar rays.
Both adult and young adult collections and services are featured on the main floor. The rows of desktop computers are heavily used and even the wooden reading tables are electrified to accommodate laptops. The children's room is light-filled, despite its being some 12 feet below street level. An outdoor rock and bamboo garden, surrounded by a fieldstone wall, offers users a peaceful, airy space to read and relax. The garden faces out from the glass walled children’s room; and in good weather its door is kept open for easy movement between the inside and outside of the building. Beyond its collections, the children’s room has child-sized chairs at computer stations, and a colorful carpeting area enjoyed by visiting youngsters and school groups. A multipurpose community room and staff offices complete the building site. The Art Commission of the City of New York presented the architects with an Excellence in Design Award in 2005.
Janet Butler Munch
