BPL Greenpoint Library

The first floor of this new steel-framed building houses the collections and a variety of programming; the second floor includes a creativity lab, offices, and a meeting room that doubles as a performance space. Both the south and west sides of the library have full-height glazing with overhanging facade elements attached back to the roof perimeter. The library structure sits on shallow concrete foundation elements.

The 15,000-square-foot building’s upper level is rotated 90 degrees relative to its ground level, creating opportunities for three outdoor spaces: a ground-level entry plaza, a reading area with native plants and a 1,500-gallon water retention cistern, and horticultural classroom on the rooftop. In addition to the library superstructure, TYLin provided services for the design of a rooftop solar panel system that is integrated into the mechanical unit support framing.