Greenpoint Library’s new eco-friendly building gets renderings

The dated Greenpoint Library wasn’t much of a looker within the neighborhood. According to Greenpointer, the one-story building was originally constructed in 1906 and later on replaced by another dull building in the 1970s, but while the branch was one of the borough’s busiest, it certainly wasn’t its most compelling.

After receiving a $5 million grant from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund and another $6.03 million from the Brooklyn Public Library, the public library is gearing up for be revamped into brand-new facility and educational center with an innovative design and increased space.

The new Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center is officially under construction and is set to span 14,000 square feet— double the size of the previous building. Designs from architecture firm Marble Fairbanks have been selected and feature a multi-level layout with massive solar windows along with a wood-paneled and concrete facade. The building is aiming for LEED Gold Green Building certification and relies on features like air pollution and water consumption reducing technology in its design to accomplish that goal.

The new space will offer several green roof spaces, a landscaped outdoor public plaza, eco lab spaces, a lounge, meeting rooms, and a large event space. It will also dedicate its Environmental Education Center toward providing resources and raising awareness on the changing environment, since the area is recovering from one of the largest oil spills in the country’s history where approximately 17 million gallons of spillage poured into nearby Newtown Creek.