South Street Seaport, NYC

Spring 2017

Design Studio 4

Parsons School of Design

This project is a proposal for a New York Public Library to be located on a unoccupied corner lot (John St and South St). The area currently lacks a public library but has a thriving community base. The overall design is a series of rotated floor slabs with a wooden façade skin. The wooden louver system would help to alleviate southern sun exposure and wood be recycled shiplap to pay homage to the area’s vibrant seafaring history. The main programmatic elements include a café, a study floor with group and individual rooms, a double floor area for the main library and a raised back outdoor courtyard.

The program also includes an open lobby area on the main with a multipurpose event space on the first floor as well as an event space with an outdoor terrace on the top floor. These spaces are designed to primarily support the local community in a variety of ways. If a community member has a start up or perhaps a book launch they would like to showcase but cannot afford to rent an expensive private venue, one could reserve these spaces instead. These spaces could also be rented to private companies that want to advantage of the skyline and east river views after building hours. The income generated from event space rentals could help with maintenance costs for the building and hopefully help support library and community events and endeavors.