Library Buildings around the World

The Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel provides Jewish educational, cultural, religious, and social opportunities for students and faculty and is
a center of Jewish life in the community. The building, named for the former dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, is located off
Harvard Square. The building's centerpiece is a circular courtyard defined by three slylit, vaulted spaces that open onto Plympton
Street. The versatile green space, enclosed by load-bearing steel columns, can accommodate a 'sukkah' during festivals. On the
building's ground floor is a student lounge, dining hall, and a multi-purpose room. Upper floors feature a library, offices, and multipurpose
rooms for worship and meetings. Clad with brick and precast concrete, the building has a leaded copper roof. (Safdie)
Vancouver Library Square (Central Library), Vancouver, BC – Canada 1992 -1995
Client City of Vancouver, Inception Date 1992-01-01, Completion Date 1995-01-01, Total Area 650,000 sq. ft. (60,400 sq. m.)
Project Cost C$109,000,000, Status 1992-1995
Design Team Moshe Safdie and Associates with Downs Archambault & Partners, Associate Architects. Consolidating
Vancouver's Central Public Library, Federal Office Tower, and retail and service facilities, Library Square occupies a city
block in the eastward expansion of downtown Vancouver. Centered on the block, the library volume is a seven-story
rectangular box containing book stacks and services, surrounded by a free-standing, elliptical, colonnaded wall featuring
reading and study areas that are accessed by bridges spanning skylit light wells. The library's internal glass facade
overlooks an enclosed concourse formed by a second elliptical wall that defines the east side of the site. This generous, glass-
roofed concourse serves as an entry foyer to the library and the more lively pedestrian activities at ground level. Public
spaces surrounding the library form a continuous piazza with parking located below grade. (Safdie)
Vancouver Library Square is a mixed-use project--the largest capital project ever undertaken by the City of Vancouver—
containing Vancouver's central public library, a federal government office tower, retail and service facilities, and below-
grade parking. The Library Square occupies a complete city block and consists of a seven-story rectangular block
containing stacks and services. The highlight of the project is a free-standing elliptical wall that contains reading and study
areas accessed by bridges from the central pavilion. The roof of the library serves as a large public garden, an example of
Safdie's efforts to introduce garden elements into urban settings. The library design was selected through an international
competition and officially opened in May 1995. (http:www.mcgill.ca)
Sage and Coombe Architects, New York, New York – USA
http://www.sageandcoombe.com
Libraries:
New York Public Library Fort Washington Branch, Childrens Room, New York, NY – USA 2007
2500 sqf.
Awards:
2007 AIA NYC Design Award
2009 AIA NY Award of Excellence
At Fort Washington, the children's room occupied the upper story of an historic Carnegie branch library. The room was grand but
over scaled for its diminutive audience. The original casework at the perimeter had charm but was in poor condition. The circulation
desk -- a large corral of sorts -- was no longer needed and had become more of an obstacle within the space. Finishes were tired and
lighting in the 18' high space was inadequate. (Sage)
New York Public Library Epiphany Branch, Gramercy Park, Childrens Room, New York, NY – USA
2007
2500 sqf.
The Epiphany Branch of The New York Public Library, once part of the Cathedral Library Association founded by the Roman
Catholic Archdiocese of New York, has served the Gramercy Park-Stuyvesant Town area since 1887.
The current Epiphany Branch building, an elegant Carnegie Library, opened on September 29, 1907. It was a major neighborhood
cultural and educational source until 1982, when it was closed for nearly two years for an extensive expansion and renovation; the
restored library opened on July 16, 1984. Today, the handsome three-story building, fully accessible to persons who use wheelchairs,
houses adult, young adult, and children's collections. A modern auditorium, available for community group meetings and library
programs, is located on the third floor.
In 2007, the children's room was completely renovated to increase shelving, add additional computers, and create a read-aloud area.
The renovation was made possible through a generous gift from Felix G. Rohatyn in honor of his wife, Elizabeth.
(http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/24/about)
New York Public Library Hamilton Fish, East Village, Reading Room, New York, NY – USA 2007
The many large windows in the tan brick facade of the Hamilton Fish Park Branch make the interior a bright and cheerful space.
The air-conditioned branch, built in 1961, is arranged on one floor, with adult, teenage, and reference book collections to the right of
the entrance and a Children's Room to the left. An auditorium, that seats 75, is available for community use by application to the
librarian. The branch and its neighborhood park are both named for Hamilton Fish (1808-93), the distinguished American
statesman who was Governor of New York and Secretary of State under Ulysses S. Grant. The original Hamilton Fish Park Branch
was built in 1909, with funds from Andrew Carnegie. When Houston Street was widened for an approach to the FDR Drive, the
original building was lost and replaced with the current.
(http://www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/21498/Hamilton-Fish-Park-Branch-New-York-Public-Library)
New York Public Library Melrose Branch, Reading Room, Bronx, New York, NY – USA 2007
3500 sqf.
It is the closest branch to Yankee Stadium and the borough's thriving court system. The branch opened its doors on January 16,
1914, and was one of the many libraries built with funds from Andrew Carnegie. The building was designed by Carrere and
Hastings. Originally, the simple red-brick structure rose to four stories. The top two floors were removed during an extensive
renovation and modernization in 1959. This air-conditioned library now occupies almost 10,000 square feet, and has separate rooms
for children and adults. It serves an ethnically diverse population of approximately 50,000; almost 25% of the branch's users prefer
to read and speak in Spanish.
(http://www.nypl.org/locations/tid/44/about)
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