PS 31 + PS 110

Staten Island, NY

Lower East Side, NY

LSS and HSC were invited to design two new public school libraries.  LSS worked as a team with not only the school administration but also with the primary users: the students. Workshops were conducted by Hester Street Collaborative from which artwork inspired by books from the library’s new collection was created. Focus was brought to the student work by installing back-lighting in the library’s entry portals. From there the work became the point of departure for the color, lighting, millwork and furnishing of the space.  A line of suspended bookshelves, perforated to maintain the librarian’s line of sight runs the length of the library to create a visually open environment with distinct functional requirements.