
The structure on the seventh floor of the library resembles a wizard hat. Photo by John Bartelstone
If you turn your eyes a little toward 40th Street, one building will really stick out above others. It’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), a renovated structure with a patina top that has joined the ranks of next-generation libraries in the Big Apple.

Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on 5th Avenue. Photo by John Bartelstone

Book stacks are designed so that visitors can browse as many books at once as possible. Photo by Max Touhey
New York Public Library has 92 locations throughout Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, and it’s a proud institution. Of those branches, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library is one of the busiest.
The distinctive name of the library comes from ‘Stavros Niarchos Foundation,’ established in honor of the Greek shipping magnate. The foundation provided a $55 million grant for the $200 million renovation. It was the second-largest one-time individual gift in New York Public Library history.

The five levels of bookshelves and the atrium make up the Long Room. To the right is the public reading room. Photo by John Bartelstone

Reading space on the third floor. The oak tables are up to 20 meters long. Photo by John Bartelstone

Steel frames from the original construction can be found at different sections of the building. Photo by John Bartelstone
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library is housed in a 1914 structure built as a department store. And as often is the case with department stores and shopping malls, there’s a vertical opening in the middle of the building. Francine Houben, the co-founder and creative director of Mecanoo, built reading areas and book stacks on either side of the linear central atrium. Three levels of reading spaces and five levels of bookshelves face each other. This helps provide a browsable collection while also ensuring more public reading room space. There’s more openness to the library, instead of the typical feeling of being closed in among book stacks.

The roof of the library has been painted so to create harmony with the mansard roof nearby. Photo by Max Touhey

The conference and event center. Wood ceilings create a cozy ambience. Photo by John Bartelstone

Book stacks and reading rooms face each other. The artwork on the ceiling is by Hayal Pozanti. Photo by Max Touhey

The children’s library is located underground but feels connected to spaces above the ground. Photo by John Bartelstone

The Teen Center. Murals on the inside are by Melinda Beck. Photo by John Bartelstone
These are all great features, but the best part of the building is the rooftop terrace on the seventh floor, offering a spectacular view of Midtown Manhattan. The roof at the center also has its function as a conference and event center. The roof terrace has an adjacent café that draws people in. And there’s reasoning behind the unique color and shape of the building. The patinated copper-colored aluminum surface put in place to create harmony with the mansard roof of the Beaux-Arts building next door. The ‘wizard hat’ roof accomplishes a couple of things: it covers up mechanical equipment and pays homage to the tapering spires and faceted facades of New York’s art deco buildings.
Address 455 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10016
Inquiry 1-212-340-0863
Website www.nypl.org/locations/snfl
© STAVROS NIARCHOS FOUNDATION LIBRARY



Address 455 Madison Avenue at 50th St., New York
Phone +1-800-804-7035
Website www.lottenypalace.com