Public Library on Long Island by Steven Holl

A new public library building at Hunters Point is set to be created next year on Long Island in the New York neighborhood of Queens according to a project by Steven Holl. The project has been approved by the library board, and construction will begin next year. The library will be located on a lucrative piece of land on the banks of the East River opposite the UN building.
The twenty-five meter high aluminum box will offer New York readers over 2000 m² of space. Holl's design aims to correct the less than flattering image of urban libraries and to provide a vibrant institution for local residents. Irregular windows are cut into the austere volume, which shine in the nighttime visualization, leading reporters from the New York Times to rename the project "ghosts trapped in the machine." On the other hand, the NYT praises Holl for not attempting to create an atmosphere of a male monastery, but rather for making a valuable contribution to the local community, managing to balance the ratio between a reader in seclusion and the need for communal living. In addition, the building will help revitalize the monotonous environment of residential blocks and dull streets in the western part of Queens.