PS 19 Prototype Library, NYC, USA
for
role
status
year
Tsao & McKown Architects
Project Leader
Built
2001
The project proposes a new prototype for New York City Public School Libraries.
Bookshelves line the perimeter to facilitate supervision. Under the auspices of The Robin Hood Foundation and the Board of Education, the project had as its goal the creation of a new model for an elementary school library. In the first phase, the project involved the development of a prototype which would later be implemented in a “roll out” process to renovate all 650 elementary level New York City Public School libraries.
The client’s program also called for the upgrade of technologies as applied in the advancement of learning. The majority of the library’s holdings are consolidated within a system of bookshelves and workstations that line the perimeter.
This arrangement not only facilitated supervision but, as well, fostered collaborative learning. At the interior, a permeable elliptical reading room and curtained theater support both solitary contemplation and collective play respectively.
Custom furniture is designed to be maximally adaptable and flexible within the diverse learning environments of the library.
