IN PROGRESS

We’re collaborating on signage and wayfinding with Toshiko Mori Architects for The Brooklyn Public Library Central Library. Located at Grand Army Plaza and opened in 1941 this library is the central hub for materials processing for the entire BPL circuit.

“The new Information Commons, totaling approximately 6,000 sq ft, functions as the library’s technology center. It provides computer stations and wireless access to the public, while a new seminar room and meeting rooms allows for a variety of educational programs. The Information Commons was envisioned as a space that is inviting and conducive to research and study – a space that is capable of elevating the user through its architecture and bringing Brooklyn’s public library system into the twenty-first century.

While the Information Commons represents a new and innovative arm of the Library, the design and concept of the space remain closely attuned to the historic building in which it resides. The design stays true to the art deco heritage of the building, using softly curved woodwork to form a ‘cocoon’ while wood paneling proportions take cues from existing woodwork.  Further connecting the new space to the library’s origins, the Information Commons is fitted almost exclusively with furniture designed by Alvar Aalto in the 1940’s. Long communal tables are conducive to both collaborative and individual study and are reminiscent of the stateliness of historic libraries. The Commons is a balance of clean, modern efficiency and historic, contextualized elements.”

More info here.