Renderings courtesy of Safdie Architects
Here is a look at the redesign of Downtown Brooklyn’s Pacific Library, the borough’s first public library financed by philanthropist and business magnate Andrew Carnegie. Safdie Architects on Thursday released images of its restoration of the 120-year-old branch at 25 4th Avenue and Pacific Street, which will restore the building’s original conical roof and skylight, expand the interior, add outdoor gardens, and build a two-story solarium. The project is part of the Brooklyn Public Library’s broader effort to restore its Carnegie branches, a network of 67 branches across the city’s three public library systems built at the turn of the 20th century.
The Pacific Library has served as an important community hub for more than a century, providing books, programming, and computer access. To ensure the branch’s redesign aligned with the needs of local residents and library patrons, BPL began public outreach in 2019 to help shape the project.
Safdie Architects was tapped to lead the renovation, working alongside New York-based AYON Studio, which is serving as the project’s architect of record and preservation architect.
When it opened in 1904, the branch boasted an impressive conical roof with skylights that filled the interior with abundant natural light. After several alterations over the years, the branch lost its original roof and skylight, limiting the amount of natural light entering the building.
The design team will restore the original roof shape and recreate the skylight, dramatically improving lighting in the reading spaces below. Additionally, a new interior skylight at the upper level will allow sunlight to reach the main library level.
Outside, excavation work will make way for new gardens planted with birch trees, ivy, and ferns. Within the gardens will be a two-story glass solarium housing the children’s room and teen room, offering quiet spaces surrounded by greenery.
The excavation, glass pavilion, and restored lightwells will bring daylight into the previously dark lower level.
New classrooms will support the library’s educational programs and create additional space for staff, including offices, workstations, and a lounge. The new spaces will prioritize the Adult Learning program, a key component of the library’s free educational programming, offering classes in reading, writing, math, HSE/GED preparation, and more.
Designated areas will also support children’s and young adult programming, building on the library’s longstanding commitment to serving young readers.
Accessibility is also a major focus of the project. The redesign will reconfigure entrances and circulation while adding a new elevator, sidewalk-level entry, and single-user restrooms on every floor.
The project prioritizes sustainability through energy efficiency, strong envelope performance, and adaptable interior spaces, with the design targeting LEED Gold certification.
Safdie Architects brings extensive experience designing civic and cultural institutions, including libraries. The firm has previously worked on the Vancouver Library Square in Canada, the Salt Lake City Public Library, and Philadelphia’s historic Free Library.
“I was excited at the opportunity to restore this unusually elegant building to its initial glory and to remove changes made over the past century,” Moshe Safdie, founding partner of Safdie Architects, said.
“We are restoring the library while, at the same time, introducing new elements that will make it more accessible and inviting as a civic space. By adding a garden and solarium, we are enhancing the building and adding new amenities that benefit the community.”
Throughout the project, AYON Studio will collaborate with Safdie Architects on architectural design, engineering, historic preservation, and materials conservation.
The library’s renovation is funded by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Council Member Shahana Hanif, former Council Member Brad Lander, the Office of the Mayor, and the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan, with additional funding from proceeds from the redevelopment of the Brooklyn Heights Library.
“Pacific Library has served the borough for more than 120 years, offering Brooklynites access to knowledge, opportunity, and growth. Today, we take an important step toward ensuring the library continues to serve the community for another century,” Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of BPL, said.
“We are thrilled to work with Moshe Safdie and his team, who deeply understand and respect the power of the public library. Together, we are committed to honoring and preserving the history of the branch, while also imagining a modern space that inspires and uplifts future generations of New Yorkers.”
Safdie Architects and AYON Studio are presenting their renovation plans to the community on Thursday, September 19, at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) at 10 Lafayette Avenue. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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