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A beautiful new branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, dubbed Brooklyn Heights Library, officially opened today at 286 Cadman Plaza West between Clinton and Pierrepont Streets.
At over 26,000 square feet, the destination is now the second-largest library in the system after the Central Library, which functions as the organization's headquarters.
Visitors will revel in the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the streets below, a sunlit reading room, double-height ceilings, a Reading Circle area and "Something Borrowed, Something New," a new installation by Brooklyn-based artist Jean Shin that marks the system's 125th anniversary.
According to an official press release, the art piece, which is shaped like an upside-down tree, "acknowledges the library's roots in the community and Brooklynites' generations of shared history with the library and literature."
Perhaps most interestingly, the debut of the modern-looking location was actually part of a redevelopment project that the library system has undertaken alongside the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
To put it simply, the two parties were able to leverage funds from a land sale to generate $52 million in revenue for the Brooklyn Public Library, $40 million of which were then distributed to fund repairs and lead improvements across all branches. The additional $12 million were used to build the interior of the new Brooklyn Heights Library.
That is all to say: the entire Brooklyn Library system is undergoing major renovations that all New Yorkers are sure to delight in throughout the upcoming few months.
"Today we celebrate a milestone, completing a vision to turn an outdated library into a bright and inspiring space for the 21st century," said Linda Johnson, President and CEO of Brooklyn Public Library, in an official statement. "In so doing, not only are we delivering a beautiful new Brooklyn Heights Library, we have generated funds for the renovation of nine other branches, benefitting our patrons throughout the borough and marking the most important moment in rebuilding since the Library was founded 125 years ago."
Check out some pictures from inside the new space right here:
