MASSAPEQUA PUBLIC LIBRARY, MASSAPEQUA, NY - In the Massapequa Public Library we reinterpret the formal assumptions about “salt-box” present in the colonial revival building to which it attached. In this way the new building does not contextualize the original but rather introduces a strong alternative that acknowledges but does not evaporate in the presence of the first structure. We added a split-level structure, which gently embraced the existing structure. The simple forms of the stucco clad reading room perched atop its masonry base recalls the lightly cropped volume of the existing library while it also calls upon an authentic style legacy in the overhanging frame buildings of the English colonies such as the Lloyd Family houses in Long Island.
Inside the building a large opening between floors coupled with expanses of glass insures that the building is light-filled and airy. New services for lighting and computer infrastructure bring the library up to current standards. The building was made accessible to the handicap entry with a new internal elevator. The project was completed in five phases to insure that the public had access to library services at all times during construction. The completed structure contains around 30,000 square feet of space.
2003 Archi Award, LI AIA
