![\"Eastern](\"https:\/\/www.e-architect.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/eastern-parkway-branch-library-brooklyn-new-york-c270826.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRenderings courtesy Allied Works<\/p>\n
The $36 million renovation will honor the original Carnegie Library and increase the library\u2019s public space by more than 50% to better serve the community.
Rendering shows the exterior of the Eastern Parkway Library, which will undergo major renovations, expanding the building\u2019s public space by more than 50 percent. DDC is managing the project for BPL.<\/p>\n
Brooklyn, NY, August 27, 2026 \u2014 Today, Portland and Brooklyn-based architecture firm Allied Works, NYC Department of Design and Construction and Brooklyn Public Library announced the groundbreaking of the $36.85 million expansion of Brooklyn\u2019s Eastern Parkway Library, adding over 50 percent more public space for patrons. The library is located at 1044 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, and DDC is managing the project for BPL.<\/p>\n
The Eastern Parkway Branch Library has served Crown Heights for over a century. Designed by Raymond Almirall and completed in 1914 as part of Andrew Carnegie\u2019s gift to New York City\u2019s branch library system, the Classical Revival building has remained one of Brooklyn Public Library\u2019s most heavily used branches.<\/p>\n
\u201cLibraries are the beating heart of civic spaces in New York, providing essential spaces and services to every community. Our redesign of the Eastern Parkway Library honors the 112-year-old building and the people it serves, paying homage to the original Carnegie library building, while expanding its public spaces,\u201d said Brad Cloepfil, Principal, Founder, Allied Works. \u201cWe are honored to participate in ushering in a new era for this branch\u2014the busiest in the BPL system\u2014stewarded by the visionary teams at the Brooklyn Public Library and the NYC Department of Design and Construction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLibraries are where New Yorkers go to learn, discover and imagine what is possible, and they deserve spaces that meet the needs of our city today,\u201d said Mayor Mamdani. \u201cThis $36 million investment will make Eastern Parkway Library fully accessible, more energy efficient and more welcoming, while honoring the architecture that has made this branch a beloved part of Crown Heights for more than a century. With more natural light, a green courtyard, a reading terrace and spaces for kids, teens and families, we are giving New Yorkers a library worthy of the community it serves.\u201d<\/p>\n Following robust community engagement, the $36 million project will honor its historic architecture with a new 13,400-square-foot, three-story wing along Schenectady Avenue. The material palette of untreated Belgian oak, coal terrazzo, perforated metal ceilings, precast concrete is grounded and unhurried. Inside the existing reading rooms, the original arched windows are restored to their full presence, with the new construction exhibiting restraint rather than assertion.<\/p>\n Allied Works\u2019 project addresses the building comprehensively, restoring the original structure to its architectural integrity. The addition pays homage to the original building, introducing a double-height reading room filled with natural light, a reading mezzanine, and a suite of new dedicated spaces for children, teens, and adult learners. On the reading mezzanine, a public art commission by Brooklyn-based artist Oasa DuVerney will depict a series of reflective portraits of writers from the African diaspora, selected in part through community engagement.<\/p>\n Rendering shows the interior of Eastern Parkway Library with new modern light fixtures, upgraded main desk and reading areas. The project will make the library fully ADA-compliant.<\/p>\n The design further allows for dedicated reading and learning spaces, including a multipurpose room with a projector, main reading room, a teen zone, two children zones, a S.T.E.A.M. room, community room and a classroom in the restored fireplace room. Additional accessible greenspace will be brought to Crown Heights readers, seeing a renovated courtyard with outdoor seating and a third-floor reading terrace with surrounding gardens.<\/p>\n A new ADA accessible ramped entrance resolves longstanding barriers, while a new elevator and restrooms will make the library fully ADA-compliant. The Adult Learning Center finds a permanent home on the lower floor. Sustainable systems\u2014including a green roof, high-performance glazing, and upgraded HVAC\u2014are designed for the preservation of the collection and the long-term reduction of energy use.<\/p>\n The building will have modern light fixtures, allowing for energy-efficient lighting that will reduce electricity costs for the library. The plumbing, HVAC and fire alarm systems will be upgraded. After the renovation, the library is expected to achieve a LEED Silver Certification.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Eastern Parkway Library has served Brooklyn for over a century. The renovation\u2014which will bring more natural light into the branch, add modern technology, and create inspiring spaces\u2014will ensure that Eastern Parkway Library can serve the community for another 100 years,\u201d said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Public Library. \u201cThanks to Settlement Housing Fund, Amazon and Ikea, we are opening a temporary library in the neighborhood this Fall, ensuring vital library services remain accessible throughout the construction process.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Eastern Parkway Library is an architectural gem in the Crown Heights community and one of the busiest libraries in Brooklyn, and we are thrilled to break ground on this amazing project,\u201d said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa. \u201cThis project is not only upgrading the interior of this unique, two-story building, but we are also making it fully ADA-compliant and expanding public space by more than 50 percent! This is what the community asked for, and what we\u2019ll be delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n Funding for the project is provided by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, the Office of the Mayor, the New York City Council, and the New York State Assembly. In addition to Allied Works, DDC is working with MPCC Corp, and expects to hand over the library to BPL in Summer 2028. The library will then begin the process of bringing books in the branch, installing computers and making other finishing touches, which is expected to take eight to 12 weeks.<\/p>\n The Eastern Parkway Library is the first of three upcoming projects that Allied Works is executing with the DDC, including EMS Station 17 and Jackson Heights Library, and received a 2020 Excellence in Design Award from the NYC Public Design Commission. Since its founding, Allied Works has built a body of work that gives enduring form to civic and community life including the National Music Centre of Canada, Palmer Museum of Art, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, and Providence Park.<\/p>\n Allied Works<\/p>\n Allied Works<\/a> is an integrated architecture and design practice whose projects and creative works seek to inspire and elevate the individuals, institutions, and organizations it serves. Established in 1994 by Brad Cloepfil and operating from studios in Brooklyn, New York and Portland, Oregon, the practice has grown steadily through the completion of major museum and cultural projects, innovative educational facilities, residences, and workplaces\u2014all of varied scale, purpose, and character\u2014in locations across the globe. This diversity is intentional as it presents perspectives from all fields of practice, offers new insights and opportunities and advances the search for innovative solutions.<\/p>\n Allied Works explores and integrates all aspects of the built environment and expression, from urban design and broader site response to the design of finely tuned interior environments, graphic design, furniture, and diverse applied arts pieces. Notable works include the Wieden+Kennedy World Headquarters in Portland, Oregon; the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver, Colorado; the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio; the National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta; and a United States Embassy compound in Maputo, Mozambique. Additional recent and current projects include the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State; a new United States Embassy Compound in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; a major expansion to the Vero Beach Museum of Art; and a renovation of Roundabout Theatre Company\u2019s flagship Broadway venue, the Todd Haimes Theatre.<\/p>\n NYC Department of Design and Construction<\/p>\n The Department of Design and Construction is the City\u2019s primary capital construction project manager, providing New York\u2019s diverse communities in all five boroughs with new or renovated public buildings such as firehouses, libraries, police precincts, and new or upgraded roads, sewers and water mains. To manage this $34 billion portfolio, DDC partners with other City agencies, architects and consultants, whose experience bring efficient, innovative and environmentally-conscious design and construction strategies to City projects. For more information, please visit nyc.gov\/ddc.<\/p>\n Brooklyn Public Library<\/p>\n Brooklyn Public Library<\/a> is one of the nation\u2019s largest library systems and among New York City\u2019s most democratic institutions. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home.<\/p>\n We are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library\u2019s online catalog. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators\u2014from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life\u2019s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.<\/p>\n Allied Works<\/a><\/p>\n Eastern Parkway Branch Library, Brooklyn, New York City images \/ information received 270826 from Allied Works architects studio<\/p>\n Phone: +1 718-953-4225<\/p>\n Address: 1044 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, New York City<\/a>, NY 11213,, United States of America.<\/p>\n +++<\/p>\n Brooklyn Buildings: NYC Architecture<\/p>\n Contemporary Brooklyn Buildings \u2013 recent selection from e-architect:<\/p>\n City on the Loop<\/a>, Canarsie Pier Union Channel Housing, Gowanus<\/a>, NYC East Side Coastal Resiliency<\/a>, East River Park, NYC Park Slope Brownstone, Brooklyn, NYC<\/a><\/p>\n The Garnet Apartments, Brooklyn, NYC<\/a><\/p>\n Kinfolk Studio in Brooklyn<\/a><\/p>\n +++<\/p>\n New York City Architecture<\/p>\n Contemporary New York Buildings<\/p>\n Manhattan Architectural Designs<\/a> \u2013 chronological list<\/p>\n New York Architecture News<\/a><\/p>\n New York Architecture<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
Architects: Ruxuan Zheng<\/a>
image : Ruxuan Zheng, Haoyuan Wang<\/p>\n
Architects: Fogarty Finger<\/a>
photo \u00a9 Alexander Severin<\/p>\n
Architecture: BIG<\/a>
East River Park; credit: Iwan Baan<\/p>\n