Hunters Point Library in New York's Long Island City by Steven Holl Architects has been hit with a class action lawsuit for its "total disregard" of people with mobility disabilities.
Non-profit organisation Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) filed the lawsuit today, claiming the library "was designed and built with a total disregard for adults and children with mobility disabilities".
The building, which opened at Hunters Point, Queens in September, has been the subject of ongoing complaints, with disabled users protesting that three areas of shelving were accessible only via stairs. Books from these sections have since been moved.
Earlier this month, Steven Holl Architects dismissed the issues as "wrinkles", saying they are "normal" for a project of this size. Hunters Point Library sued for ADA violations
The lawsuit was filed against Queens Borough Public Library, The Board of Trustees of the Queens Borough Public Library and the City of New York for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which became law in 1992.
The 21-page Hunters Point complaint says the library is "in flagrant contempt" of the act.
Steven Holl Architects dismissed the building's accessibility issues earlier this month, describing them as "wrinkles"
"Inaccessible features pervade the new Hunters Point Library, and exclude people with mobility disabilities from a variety of its offerings," the document continues.
Steve...