A sculptural aluminium crown tops New York’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, which has been renovated by Dutch
practice Mecanoo and American firm Beyer Blinder Belle.
Formerly called the Mid-Manhattan Library, the steel and granite library dates from 1914 and was built as a department store.
Its original structure has been retained and the renovation introduces a three-storey “vertical library”, business and educational facilities and a publicly accessible rooftop garden and café.
The mechanical equipment of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library’s (SNFL) is now concealed by a blue aluminium structure designed to echo the copper-clad mansard roofs of the neighbouring beaux-arts buildings.
“The SNFL is a powerhouse of wisdom,” said Mecanoo partner Francis Houben.
“Its street presence brings drama and magic to Manhattan, visibly expressed with its wizard hat.”
Read more: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/06/25/stavros-niarchos-foundation-library-mecanoo/
Source: www.dezeen.com
