The Hunter Point Library in Queens County is a compact rectangular block. This composition is caused by the desire of Stephen Hall to free up the maximum area (which itself is less than 0.3 hectares) for a park. The architect doesn't like the typical New York situation when new municipal libraries are built into the ground and basement floors of commercial high-rise buildings, and there is no way to create public space around them.
Its construction, on the contrary, is clearly visible against the background of residential skyscrapers when viewed from another, Manhattan, coast of the East River. Around it is its own garden, and between it and the water is a small park, for which Hall built two low service buildings, complemented by a grove of ginkgo trees.
-
Image 
zooming 1/3 Hunters Point Library Photo © Paul Warchol
-
zooming 2/3 Hunters Point Library Photo © Paul Warchol
-
zooming 3/3 Hunters Point Library Photo © Steven Holl Architects
The volume of the library, for all the restrained rectangularity, attracts attention with the outlines of the huge windows, which testify that everything in the interior is far from being as regular as outside. There are diagonal staircases connecting mezzanine floors with mezzanines, an abundance of sunlight (and panoramic views), a variety of functions: shelves with books side by side with digital workplaces.
The concrete shell is painted on the outside with a silvery paint (although aluminum panels were initially planned), while the interior is dominated by bamboo. The shell is self-supporting, which made it possible to do without additional supports in the interior. There is a hall for 140 spectators under the first level, and on the roof there is a reading terrace. The eastern facade facing Queens received three large windows - on the lower, adult, middle - children's, and upper - teenage tiers.
-
Image 
zooming 1/5 Hunters Point Library © Steven Holl Architects
-
zooming 2/5 Hunters Point Library © Steven Holl Architects
-
zooming 3/5 Hunters Point Library © Steven Holl Architects
-
zooming 4/5 Hunters Point Library © Steven Holl Architects
-
zooming 5/5 Hunters Point Library © Steven Holl Architects
