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The New York Public Library desired a new branch library to provide equitable service to an underserved Staten Island neighborhood. Inspired by the cultural connections to its location in Charleston, Staten Island, a century old craftsmen community known for brick and terracotta manufacturing, the library is conceived as a stylized brick vessel for information and community gathering. Sited in a popular big box retail store complex, the building’s exterior is clad in a textured Roman brick whose unique composition and dark iridescent color contrasts with the adjacent stores and pays homage to the craft manufacturing traditions of this community. Openings in the brick façade are appropriately scaled for a civil building and signal a monumental expression within the shopping plaza.
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The library building is located within a shopping complex, a familiar American suburban condition. This established an unusual site planning constraint, with parking lots bordering two sides of the building and Fairview Park bordering the other two. The Park is a recreational landscape that abuts the retail complex, and the library is located between these two site conditions. The design of the building addresses this unique environment with a community welcome plaza and an angular stainless-steel entry portal announcing the library entrance off the parking lot. Internally, the library program spaces are oriented toward the park and take advantage of its views.
The library is the first Net Zero LEED Gold public library in New York City and is designed to meet the City’s goal of 80% carbon emission reduction by 2050. We prepared energy models to predict the building performance as seasons change, ensuring it produces enough energy to operate. The high R value wall and roof composition minimizes the load on the heating and cooling systems, reducing energy requirements for operation. A ceramic low-e coating on the windows reduces heat gain and energy requirements. Demand Control Ventilation was installed in every room to save energy by giving each space control over its heating and cooling. High efficiency LED lighting minimizes energy draw while a roof-mounted 60.5 kW photovoltaic array allows solar energy to be net-metered to the grid.
The Charleston Branch of the New York Public library provides a public institution for the advancement of education and access to an underserved community. This is the first public library to serve the community of Charleston and the first Net Zero public library in New York City. The all electric, non-fossil fuel operation creates a LEED Gold sustainable and healthy environment for the community. The library’s commercial location, transparent façade, and universal accessibility welcome a diverse community of patrons. It provides access to digital information, a wide variety of books and media, and unique programming for intergenerational patrons, including special environments for children and young adults that encourage reading, learning, and collaboration. The library program spaces are oriented toward the park and take advantage of its views, with the main reading room and information commons at the center of the spatial composition. Additionally, the program rooms give the community of Charleston a place to hold public meetings and presentations, even after the library is closed. The library’s program offerings, universal accessibility and distinctive architectural expression rooted in the craft heritage of Charleston, make it a welcoming community destination. It reinforces the identity of the Charleston community, enriching its citizens’ sense of belonging and hometown pride.
“… ikon.5 encourages the library to dream big – and through their ingenuity and skill they were able to deliver a brilliant design that not only responds to the library's programmatic needs and budget requirements but serves to elevate the environment with a civic presence where client, patron, and community will all be proud stakeholders.” - Risa Honig, Former Vice President, Capital Planning & Construction, New York Public Library
ikon.5 architects work is rooted in our belief that architecture is storytelling in built form and landscape. Architecture tells the story of the values of a particular people in their place and time. Like poetry and prose, architecture relies on metaphors to convey an expression that is lasting and timeless. Our solutions reflect the regional traditions in which we build and seek a timeless expression that eloquently reflects our client’s stories. Our work is a-stylistic, with no preordained aesthetic expression, and inspired by thoughtful, economic, and sustainable solutions that are meaningful to those who experience our buildings. Our work is united in a commitment to design excellence, social impact, and environmental responsiveness. We believe there is an opportunity for design excellence in all projects, irrespective of size and budget. Our 28-person practice makes artistic works to explore ideas that are rooted in the ethos and heritage of the places where we work.
