LIBRARY AS
LANTERN

Stella Betts Studio 
Core II 
SPRING ‘16 - 14 WEEKS

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Question:

What is the role of artificial and natural light in the formation of a building?

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Drivers:

Natural light, Artificial Light, Form, Public Engagement 

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Program:

General Library 
Teen Library 
Children Library
Classrooms
Archives
Staff Offices 
Cafe 

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This project explores the relationship of sun light and electric light – analyzing how light can impact activities within the building and on the street.  By analyzing the play of sunlight across the wide Fulton Street Mall and Plaza during the day and the  bright electric light of the stores at night, the library begins to react to and enhance the natural lighting conditions of the site.  By taking advantage of the three sided facade and the vast southern exposure, almost every room is sun filled and the street traffic is visually and physically invited inside.  Furthermore, by creating a glowing core this visual connection stays strong through all hours of the day as the library becomes a beacon for passersby at night.

Visitors ascend into the library, finding themselves either engulfed in the tiered, sun filled, belly of the reading room; on display in one of the outwardly oriented community rooms; or hidden in the inmate loft of the children’s library.  Located on the busy corner of Fulton Street Mall in Brooklyn this building will become the light of education and progress for the community.

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Located in the center of one of the fastest growing boroughs in New York City, Fulton Street Mall attracts visitors at all times of day and night.  In the evening the street lights and the shops illuminate the way for thousands of pedestrians.  The electric lights that illuminate the sidewalks and guide shoppers to their destinations also reveal the nocturnal life of the site.