Today the New York Public Library revealed a new design for the Donnell Library Center, part of the library’s flagship building on 53rd Street in Manhattan. The award-winning design by TEN Arquitectos centers around multi-floor stadium seating and features a large glass facade for natural daylighting from the street level. Stacks line the perimeter of each floor but, as The New York Times reported, the new library “emphasizes places to congregate more than shelves for books.” Read the Times article for background on the real estate dealings behind the new library launch—the building is slated to re-open in 2015—and the NYPL press release for more images of the building.
Could this kind of design succeed in a school library? How are school libraries using architecture to emphasize play, social interaction, and creativity?