With the ubiquity of the Internet and the ease of buying or downloading books online, library memberships are becoming a thing of the past. Who can blame the public, really, when the traditional library calls to mind dusty books and claustrophobic aisles flooded in fluorescent light?
However, it’s precisely society’s Web dependence and the way this distracts us from interpersonal relationships that has pressed home the need for libraries as a communal space. The raison d’etre remains to provide free access to information, whether via computers or through physical books. But today, libraries have to provide modern and relevant platforms for young people to pursue their interests too – even if this isn’t reading. As civic spaces, they draw people together, encouraging inclusivity and togetherness, values that deserve much promulgation in the 21st century.
Using design, the following four libraries have been transformed from mere book depositories into sexy new spaces. They have revitalised neighbourhoods, increased visitor numbers and burnished the reputation of their home cities. Some people aren’t thrilled – they’re the ones who like reading in quiet libraries – but, then again, they’re in the minority these days.
JEWEL ON THE BANK
WHAT: Hunters Point Library, Long Island City, New York
This six-storey library by Steven Holl Architects, though compact, is a design standout – with a waterfront position along the East River in Queens, and a sparkle visible even from across the waters, thanks to its aluminium-painted facade. In contrast to all that silver, the interiors are warmly clad in bamboo, and feature designer furniture pieces by Eames and Jean Prouve. It opened in September 2019 and houses over 50,000 books, but visitors may be drawn to the expansive views of Manhattan through the unusual window cutouts instead. However, at the time of print, it is the subject of a lawsuit for not being fully accessible to disabled persons, due in part to its staircase-centric design. Guess some fixes are in order, before the design can be considered a home run.
