The New York Public Library’s Mid-Manhattan branch will shutter this August for a little over two-years for a renovation led by Dutch firm Mecanoo, in collaboration with Beyer Blinder Belle.
The branch, which is located at 455 Fifth Avenue, across from the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, has been in operation since the 1970s, and has been in need of an update for some time now.
NYPL revealed the design team and the first rendering for the project in November last year. The $200 million project will create a multi-story wall of bookshelves, create a dedicated floor with separate libraries for children and teens, a full-floor business library, and Midtown’s only free, public roof terrace.
While the library remains closed, the services it offers will move to several nearby locations.
- The library’s circulating collections, along with computers, programming space, and areas for quiet study will be offered at a temporary space setup on the ground floor of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, and be accessible via the 42nd Street entrance.
- The technology classes offered at the branch will move to the Science, Industry and Business Library on Madison Avenue between East 34th and 35th Streets.
- Sign-ups for IDNYC and citizenship services will take place at the Grand Central Branch.
- The newly opened 53rd Street branch will also serve as another option for circulating materials, and offer classes, programs, and computers.
The renovation is expected to be complete by early 2020. This branch receives about 1.7 million visitors each year. The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building’s stunning Rose Reading Room also recently reopened after a two-year renovation.
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