Vibrant Fritted Glass Facade Characterizes Snøhettas Far Rockaway Library

Vibrant Fritted Glass Facade Characterizes Snøhettas Far Rockaway Library

The Far Rockaway Library by Snøhetta in Queens, New York, features a striking fritted orange ombre glass facade with white script by José Parlá, inspired by local sunsets and New York City's writing culture. The building’s simple triangular form contrasts with its surroundings, with cut-out sections and a pyramid-shaped entrance. Read more on SURFACES REPORTER (SR):

Snøhetta has completed the Far Rockaway Library in Queens, New York, featuring fritted orange ombre glass with white script by artist José Parlá. The new building replaces the former library, doubling its size.

Triangular Design and Functional Spaces

The 18,000-square-foot Far Rockaway Library features a triangular form, with cut-out sections at the back corners and a pyramid slice at the entrance.

The first level houses a lobby, information desk, teen area, and offices, while the second level includes adult and children's areas, plus a quiet room.

Sunset-Inspired Facade and Writing Culture Mural

The building's orange facade draws inspiration from the local coastal sunsets, while José Parlá's mural reflects New York City's "writing culture" of the 1960s and '70s, when artists transformed public spaces with their art.

The mural reflects New York City's daily sounds, reimagined into an "indecipherable code." Inside, the semi-translucent facade fills the space with natural light, creating an immersive experience for visitors.

Simple Form and Inverted Pyramid Interior

The library's simple form contrasts with the visual noise of surrounding retail outlets. Inside, it reinterprets the traditional library, offering collaboration and social spaces like a teen room and meeting centers.

A central atrium, with a concrete staircase and tilted columns, creates an inverted pyramidal structure.

Atrium-Centered Design and Artistic Details

The library's interior surrounds an inverted pyramidal atrium, flooding the ground floor with natural light and offering sky views. Clusters of seating and bookcases line the atrium, with a dichroic glass railing along the staircase and orange metal fins descending from the skylight. A mural by Pablo Helguera, inspired by physicist Richard Feynman, adorns the second level.

Following its role as a disaster relief center after Hurricane Sandy, the new library aims to strengthen community services and unify Far Rockaway. Designed as a hub, it supports neighborhood revitalization and brings people together.

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Goldberg/ESTO
×
×

Post Your Comment


"Content that powers your Business. News that keeps you informed."

Surfaces Reporter is one of India's leading media in Print & Digital Telecast for News on Interiors & Architecture Projects, Products, Building Materials, and the Business of Design! Since 2011, it serves as a referral for designers & architects to know about inspiring projects and source new products. If you have a Product or Project worth publishing in Surfaces Reporter, please email us hello@surfacesreporter.com or you can also submit your project online.

Like Surfaces Reporter on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and Instagram | Subscribe to our magazine | Sign Up for the FREE Surfaces Reporter Magazine Newsletter

Sculptural Ceiling Echos Flowing Chocolate In this Retail Chocolate Store | New York | Arch&Type

Arch&Types latest project, Blue Table Chocolates in Buffalo, New York, showcases a striking retail space. The store boasts an eye-catching interior highlighted by a sculptural ceiling resembling flowing, untempered chocolate.

Read more

Neal Lucas Hitch Creates FLIM-FLAMS- Self-Assembling Timber Shells for Rapidly Deployable Wooden Tents | New York

FLIM-FLAMS (Force-Lifted, Timber, Flat-Laminated Shells) are self-assembling timber shells created by etching radial cut patterns into flat plywood sheets. These sheets are laminated and stretched upward, forming deployable wooden tents.

Read more

Studio Libeskind Designs Signature Angled Facades for 11-Story Housing Block in Brooklyn, New York

The 11-story building, featuring Studio Libeskinds signature angled facades, comprises 190 apartments tailored for seniors under the citys Seniors First initiative.

Read more

Snøhetta Unveils Stunning Angled High-Rises with Steel Balconies in Oslo

Snøhetta introduces its latest project: the Vertikal Nydalen office and apartment building in Oslo.

Read more


This is alt