Location: Brooklyn, NY
Client (fictitious): Brooklyn Public Library, Bedford Branch
Straddling the border of Clinton Hill and Bedford Stuyvesant, the Bedford branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system aims to draw together the teenage communities of these neighborhoods. Renovated from its original 5,500 sf site, the teen library now fully engages the public, encouraging a conversation among its young patrons, the urban fabric, and the evolving disciplines of learning.
The first floor relates to habitual perception. The shelves, partly supporting the mezzanine, are designed to store the majority of the library’s small, existing collection. Pops of color on the wooden shelves enliven the browsing. As the collection grows, the colorful panels are gradually covered by books, enabling a more mature visual.
An element of unfamiliarity ensues as the patron walks towards the lounging area. Contoured along the walls, the curvilinear benches are ergonomically and parametrically designed for flexible use of the furniture. Visually, the benches act as a counterbalance to the conventional existing interior, indicating further spontaneity of both program and circulation.
Upstairs, the mezzanine offers a casual flow between the browsing area and a private study zone. The bookshelves for periodicals cocoon the lounging seats, as heat-bent wood stripes flow up the floor to form furniture pieces. Together, these interacting systems mark the transition from memories of a habitual past to those of the spontaneous present.