Far Rockaway Library | Snøhetta

Located prominently at the busy intersection of Central and Mott avenues, the new library will serve as an anchor for the growing Far Rockaway community, further spurring the City’s revitalization efforts in the Downtown area and transforming the neighborhood that has experienced decades of disinvestment. 

The new structure, with a design and construction cost of $39 million, is a two-story building twice the size of the prior building. It features a unique glass façade and central atrium space designed to let natural light penetrate deep into the building while giving patrons views of the sky from within the building. The façade features colored glass, with a color gradient, balancing transparency and translucency, and the interior railing is made of the dichroic glass which creates the kaleidoscopic effect in the atrium. 

“Our design for the Far Rockaway library is focused on connecting the diverse communities in the area through an architecture supporting joy and learning. The vibrant colors and daylit interiors are inspired by the many groups that call the area home,” said Snøhetta Founding Partner, Craig Dykers.

Snøhetta worked with Brooklyn-based contemporary artist José Parlá to design the mural wrapping the façade of the library. This artwork transforms the architecture into a form of sculptural painting. Initially an ink-on-paper drawing, the digitized and supersized work is made of continuous writing forms using words depicting daily life in the city. Named Style Writing, the artwork reflects Far Rockaway’s diversity and dynamism. Through the reflections of the glass facade, the viewer becomes part of the artwork experience and, therefore, part of the ephemeral and immersive qualities of the building.

The 18,000-square-foot structure meets LEED Gold standards for environmental efficiency with high performance glazing on the glass façade reducing the heat of the building from sunlight; daylight and occupancy sensors that work with automated building management systems to reduce electric use; and an energy efficient underfloor heating distribution system. The structure also features a blue roof designed to release storm water from the site at a slow speed. The entire structure is ADA compliant, with an elevator and restrooms on both floors and in the Children’s Area. There is also a rear yard with plantings accessible to the public. 

Inside of the library, a piece by Mexican artist Pablo Helguera called Feynman Code is a tribute to the Nobel Prize-winner and theoretical physicist Richard Feynman (1918-1988) who grew up in the neighborhood. One of his contributions to physics are the "Feynman diagrams" — pictorial representations of the mathematical expressions describing the behavior of subatomic particles. For the Far Rockaway Library, Helguera created an alphabet where every letter is replaced by a Feynman diagram, and reproduced two phrases using this coding system: one by the 19th Century American poet Emily Dickinson, “The mind is wider than the sky”, and one by Feynman himself: “I, a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.”

The Library builds upon the legacy of a well-loved neighborhood landmark to provide for the dynamic needs of residents and the local community. Brought to life through the collaboration with visual artists, the library is both a symbol and a resource. The new building seeks to increase the delivery of much-needed neighborhood services and was designed to serve as a catalyst to bring people together.

Artist Collaborator: José Parlá

Structural Engineer: Silman

Civil Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti

Sustainability and Lighting Consultant: Atelier 10

MEP-FP + AV Consulting Engineer: Altieri

Photography: Jeff Goldberg/ESTO (https://esto.com/goldberg)