Hunter’s Point Library, a much anticipated and long awaited community center designed by Steven Holl Architects, was a huge success in architectural design and at the community level. Michael Kimmelman of The New York Times called the building “one of the finest and most exhilarating public buildings New York has produced in this century.” Last week, an article in the Intelligencer unapologetically headlined, “Hunter’s Point Library Was Too Expensive and Worth It.”
However, after the library’s official opening last week, which drew more than 1,300 visitors, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, some citizens have concerns about the attractive and expensive design, especially its accessibility.
Completed in 2019 at a cost of over $40 million, the building features stepped mezzanines with book stacks that can only be reached via a flight of stairs. The Center for Independence of the Disabled and Tanya Jackson, a woman with mobility issues, sued the library, its board of trustees, and the city for discrimination. The City of New York filed its own suit against Holl’s office, alleging that the building did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and demanding $10 million for fixes.
The library’s design seemed well-prepared to receive the public, with its 82-foot-high rectangular prism with asymmetrical puzzle-piece windows. The layout accommodates a generous atrium, which draws daylight to the ground floor. However, the atrium occupies a lot of real estate, resulting in uncomfortably narrow passageways. A 2019 news report noted that stroller parking clogged the entrance to the second-floor elevators. All of this makes it near impossible for the elderly and disabled to navigate New York’s newest landmark.
The legal proceedings will continue to explore how the design missed the mark, but a simple walk around the library reveals a structure where beauty has been prioritized over basic function, forgetting an integral group of people.
However, after the library’s official opening last week, which drew more than 1,300 visitors, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, some citizens have concerns about the attractive and expensive design, especially its accessibility.
Completed in 2019 at a cost of over $40 million, the building features stepped mezzanines with book stacks that can only be reached via a flight of stairs. The Center for Independence of the Disabled and Tanya Jackson, a woman with mobility issues, sued the library, its board of trustees, and the city for discrimination. The City of New York filed its own suit against Holl’s office, alleging that the building did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and demanding $10 million for fixes.
The library’s design seemed well-prepared to receive the public, with its 82-foot-high rectangular prism with asymmetrical puzzle-piece windows. The layout accommodates a generous atrium, which draws daylight to the ground floor. However, the atrium occupies a lot of real estate, resulting in uncomfortably narrow passageways. A 2019 news report noted that stroller parking clogged the entrance to the second-floor elevators. All of this makes it near impossible for the elderly and disabled to navigate New York’s newest landmark.
The legal proceedings will continue to explore how the design missed the mark, but a simple walk around the library reveals a structure where beauty has been prioritized over basic function, forgetting an integral group of people.
