Brooklyn Public Library Roadway Readeries

a series of public pavilions for the Brooklyn Public Library

location

Brooklyn, NY

status

Completed, 2021

client

Brooklyn Public Library

team

Annie Barrett
Adriel Mesznik
Adam Thompson
Protik Choudhury
Ruta Misiunas

Fabricator

Bednark

Structural

Silman

These temporary pavilions were designed and installed to support the Brooklyn Public Library’s continuation of servics through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Young boy with a backpack running on a sunny sidewalk next to a black fence, with a blue public structure and parked cars in the background.

Their iconic design and innovative adaptation of NYC’s street-side dining guidelines were profiled by Karrie Jacobs in the May 31, 2022 print edition of the New York Times, and they were recognized with a 2024 AIA New York State design award as part of our “Activating Exteriors” project.

A screenshot of a New York Times article featuring the Roadway Readeries titled "Why Libraries May Never Stop Being People Places"

The Roadway Readeries tactically use pandemic-era changes to NYC regulations for curbside structures to expand the library’s footprint and allow new types of programming to emerge.

A moving drawing showing a blue roadside structure being used for different types of gatherings.

To maintain critical services, our team worked with BPL and DOT to design, fabricate, and install Roadway Readeries at three branches, expanding on our “Activating Exteriors” project.

Three-panel image showing different sections of a blue arched structure with "BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY" text.

We worked in close collaboration with our fabricator, Bednark, to design structures able to be deployed and assembled at each site in a single day.

Four workers constructing a blue wooden structure outdoors on a sunny day.

Formally, our design for the Readeries draws inspiration from historic reading rooms and from the Brooklyn Public Library’s main branch at Grand Army Plaza.

A graphic image depicting a conceptual architectural comparison. On the left is an isometric line drawing of a long, rectangular reading room. In the center is a blue equal sign (=). On the right is a simplified isometric line drawing of a blue arched structure.

A graphic image divided into two sections, left and right, with architectural and design elements. Left Section: Top: A semi-circular pattern of thin blue lines radiating from a horizontal blue bar, resembling an open book. Middle: A black and white photograph of the central Brooklyn Public Library branch. The building has a curved facade. Bottom: A text box containing the phrase: "an expression of both civic pride, and public embrace...shaped like an open book" Right Section: An isometric line drawing of a long, narrow structure with a series of rounded arches. The structure is rendered in blue lines and features a repeating pattern of arches supported by thin posts, suggesting a covered walkway or colonnade.

A blow-through mesh roof covering provides shade for reading on hot summer days. We printed the mesh with graphic reinterpretations of the sky.

Close-up photo of a blue wooden structure with curved shapes and fabric panels, with green trees visible behind.

Abstract image of sky and tree through translucent fabric over blue structure.

View of a church steeple through a blue arched wood structure with a translucent roof.

The structures were rigorously designed around NYCDOT regulations and modified for local conditions, like an existing fire hydrant at the Walt Whitman branch.

Photograph of the Brooklyn Public Library building with a distinctive blue wood and fabric structure, cars, and trees visible.

Librarians and community groups used the Readeries to attract new patrons through book clubs, science experiments, read-alouds, public health events, crafting sessions, and more.

Group of people interacting at tables under a blue structure with a translucent roof, on a sunny day.

Individual wearing a mask seated at a table with books under a bright blue structure, with buildings in the background.

Two people in uniforms having lunch at a small table under a blue structure, with a street and storefronts in the background.

Originally meant to last only 18 months, the vibrant BPL-blue structures became beloved extensions of their branches until new NYC regulations required their removal in late 2024.

Close-up view of the Brooklyn Public Library sign framed by arched blue structure and a translucent awning.

The Readeries were dismantled and will find new life in community gardens through a collaboration with NYC Parks Green Thumb and our friends at New Affiliates.

Two workers in rain gear loading a large section of a blue strucgture with the word "BROOK" from a wet city street onto a truck.

1, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11 taken by Mary Kang
5, 9 taken by Brooklyn Public Library / Gregg Richards