New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York Public Library (NYPL) officials are making good on their promise to add affordable housing atop public libraries sited on city-owned land.
The new NYPL Inwood branch debuted last year and has 174 affordable units, thanks to Fogarty Finger and Andrew Berman Architect. Similar pursuits are underway in Boston by MASS Design Group.
Bernheimer Architecture and LEVENBETTS are partnering with HPD, NYPL, Settlement Housing Fund (SHF), and Kalel Companies to deliver 113 affordable units above another public library, this time on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. The affordable homes will be perched above a new 17,500-square-foot library for the community.
At least 15 percent of the new 113 affordable homes at 155 East 173rd Street will be reserved for formerly homeless families and individuals. (Courtesy Bernheimer Architecture)
At least 15 percent of the new homes at 155 East 173rd Street will be reserved for formerly homeless families and individuals. There will also be a cooling center to service community members in the hot months.
Renderings show a handsome brick tower with setbacks. Intricate masonry detailing creates portals into the library washed in natural light thanks to generous glazing. On the library’s third floor, a domed space punctured by an oculus will provide an ideal locale for cozying up with a book.
Timber surfaces will line the double-height reading area. Hanging pendant lights will draw eyes upward to a speckled ceiling, adding visual wonder to the civic space. Books will front the main reading room in a circular fashion.
The double-height main reading area will be washed in natural light. (Courtesy Bernheimer Architecture)
The development team pledged to preserve a historic sculpture by Lorrie Goulet on the existing Grand Concourse NYPL facade, HPD officials shared this week. The new state-of-the-art library will have a double-height adult reading space, updated technology, multipurpose meeting rooms, and study areas.
Judy Herbstman, SHF president, said the building designed by Bernheimer Architecture and Levenbetts Architects will meet Passive House standards and provide “high-quality housing for low-income and formerly homeless New Yorkers and a supportive environment where they can flourish.”
Section drawing cut through the proposed public library (Courtesy Bernheimer Architecture)
Bernheimer Architecture has deep experience meeting Passive House standards, and working in the Bronx. River Commons is another project by the firm on the Grand Concourse nearing completion.
River Commons employs a high-performance thermal envelope, energy-efficient systems, and on-site renewable energy thanks to geothermal and photovoltaic systems.
Moving forward, the development team will seek necessary permits and public approval for the project at 155 East 173rd Street.