New York Public Library, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Photos by John Bartelstone

2020
Beyer Blinder Belle
New York, NY

160,000 GSF

Civic
Education & Libraries

Between Times Square and Grand Central Terminal sits New York Public Library, the iconic New York City landmark featured in numerous Hollywood films and deemed a must-see to New York tourists. As an extension of the branch and located across the street, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) has undergone a full-scale renovation in 2020.

The 160,000 sq ft renovation and addition features eight floors, with four floors of general collections and reading rooms. In the library’s main floors, RDG used both direct and indirect solutions to illuminate book stacks, as well as a downlight grid and integrated task lighting for workstations. On the lower level, dedicated children’s and teen's zones sit beneath openings from the main floor, bordered with wall-mounted lighting to draw the eye in to discover the space below. RDG also designed the building’s exterior roof lighting to articulate the new architectural roofscape and a beautiful terrace overlooking the historic main branch.