Brooklyn Public Library - Brower Park Branch
Brooklyn Public Library - Brower Park Branch
Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn, New York
An innovative partnership between the Brooklyn Public Library and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum sought to “bring a new library to Crown Heights that will introduce the groundbreaking cultural resources of the Museum to families in Central Brooklyn, and ensure the presence of a public library in the neighborhood for generations to come." (from the Brooklyn Public Library's website).
Our Team began by interviewing the helpful library staff, but, eager to learn more of the community's own priorities, we conducted a series of community engagement events. We quickly realized the need for separate areas to serve adults, teens, children, and various other necessities of this richly diverse community - including small to large meeting spaces and areas for ongoing projects.
Visually differentiated and physically distinct spaces emerged. The main and most quiet room, the adult reading room, looks out onto a tree-lined street and a newly created "Reading Porch." This covered outdoor area grew out of the need for a place for teens to gather after school and enjoy snacks before coming inside, where eating isn't possible, and also provides a quiet area for readers longing for the tranquility of nature.
At the far end of the main room is an area the young adults will use most, including a separate and acoustically sub-dividable project room.
The children’s room has brighter colors, a cozy reading nook, and a small stage for story time or performances. Along one side is an overlook to the Museum's main gallery – a glass wall which can be switched between fully transparent and translucent, depending upon programmatic needs.
