A sculptural aluminium crown tops New York's Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library, which has been renovated by Dutch practice Mecanoo and American firm Beyer Blinder Belle.
Formerly called the Mid-Manhattan Library, the steel and granite library dates from 1914 and was built as a department store.
Its original structure has been retained and the renovation introduces a three-storey "vertical library", business and educational facilities and a publicly accessible rooftop garden and café.
The New York library dates from 1914
The mechanical equipment of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library's (SNFL) is now concealed by a blue aluminium structure designed to echo the copper-clad mansard roofs of the neighbouring beaux-arts buildings.
"The SNFL is a powerhouse of wisdom," said Mecanoo partner Francis Houben. "Its street presence brings drama and magic to Manhattan, visibly expressed with its wizard hat."
Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners renovated the public library
The SNFL is the first phase of the New York Public Library's Midtown Campus Renovation - for which Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle were appointed in 2015.
The project will also see the two firms renovate the Stephen A. Schwarzman (SASB) building opposite.
A new atrium features ceiling art by Hayal Pozanti
At SNFL, Mecanoo led on design while Beyer Blinder Belle led on historic preservation as well as acting as the architect of record and designing the environme...