LIBRARY ATRIUM
This project was dedicated to Daylighting as a phenomena: charting the sun’s relative position and relating how the light interacts with a given location.
As part of a team, we created a concept proposal for renovations to an existing library in Brooklyn. My role was to design a five story atrium space in the center of the plan. I created a stained glass skylight, and extended the entire atrium above the roofline with three full-story-height panes of stained glass on the East, South and West facades. Stained glass partitions are also located on the first floor, as a coy introduction to the experience as patrons enter. A central staircase stacks horizontally instead of vertically, to offer unobstructed views of the skylight. At the top, a viewing area doubles as a lounge. Underneath, a meeting room takes advantage of available space.
As the sun moves throughout the day, it projects from the stained glass onto the staircase. This creates a dynamic experience in which viewers become absorbed in a play of color and light. The walls of the staircase are made of stacked white bricks which both allow light to filter through onto the stairs as well as provide a large-scale plane to capture the projections.