MILLER LIBRARY WALDORF SCHOOL GARDEN CITY, NY- The construction of the Miller Library was the final addition to the master plan for the Waldorf School in Garden City. The original school was a grouping of separate buildings connected by exterior arcades. The building units were built of brick with a unique soldier coursing and with hipped roofs which created the image of a peaceful village.
The overall design goal was to subtly connect the parts and create an enclosed walkway system. This addressed the school’s security concerns and the need to identify a singular entry point. New windows and doors were added, a central entry desk was added and the entry upgraded, and the high school was refurbished. The work was done with limited funds and with the involvement of the Waldorf community.
The library renovation and addition was the largest part of the work nearly doubling the size of the former library space. The goal was to respect the existing “village” architecture while adding a state of the art facility to the school. The library is located at the heart of the campus and looks out onto a beloved courtyard. The design embraces this exterior space with five “pavilions” that are pushed into the courtyard with their own village type roof. Each pavilion has windows on all sides, including glass corners so that the students feel as if they are in the garden. Each pavilion is treated separately with an identifying color of carpet and paint and each are clad with low maple bookcases on every wall. Maple wood and sustainable materials are used throughout. The fifth pavilion is the home of the faculty lounge with sits at the helm of the entire plan reflecting the teaching philosophy of Rudolph Steiner, the founder, that the teaching material come directly from the educator - not a standard secondary source text book.
Educational & Academic Buildings, Libraries, Site & Master Planning
