After Super Storm Sandy, the residents of Far Rockaway, NY found much needed support and supplies at their community library. This weathered landmark needed more than a facelift, it needed a new purpose: to inspire a new generation and grow with their needs. The problem: The international award-winning architectural firm Snøhetta had a vision for bright colors, complex geometries, and bold design and needed both the right materials and the expertise to bring their vision to life. The solution: EDA Contractors used creativity, engineering, and leveraged their brightest minds to deliver a stunning result with the help of ALPOLIC® metal composite materials. Their work helped the project receive recognition at the Municipal Art Society of New York's (MASNYC) 2024 MASterworks Awards as Best New Building. Libraries offer more than books and audio/visual media to the public. They provide safe spaces for children and young adults, and host support groups and events for people with shared interests. People go to the library to polish resumes, learn to sew, research family history or simply relax. In the Queens, New York neighborhood of Far Rockaway, the library has stood as a monument to the community’s diversity and resilience.
Far Rockaway Library: Updating a Beloved Landmark
The first library in this location, funded by Andrew Carnegie over 120 years ago, was lost to fire and rebuilt. When Hurricane Sandy tore through the Far Rockaway community in 2012, the library provided relief and shelter to residents in need. The late-1960s structure, however, began in recent years to show its age and wear. It was time for a new library, and architectural firm Snøhetta, in collaboration with artist NY-based José Parlá, took on the challenge of creating a contemporary space to carry on the legacy of a beloved community hub.
Snøhetta’s concepts for the updated design evoke themes of growth and renewal in Far Rockaway. In lieu of a complete rebuild, the original building was expanded to allow for larger areas for reading and study, community meetings, and safe zones for teens and children. Bold and elegant, the design is elevated yet does not lose sight of its intended purpose, to create a haven for the diverse and vibrant residents of Queens. Slipping gracefully into the corner of a busy commerce street lined with shops and restaurants, the $39 million renovation broke ground in November of 2018 and the community eagerly awaited its grand opening in August 2024.
A façade that is an extension of the artist’s dream
The main entrance stands at the foot of a stories-high A-frame “revealed” by a mixed material envelope featuring Parlá’s mural “Style Writing.” The artist’s drawings were digitized and encased in colored glass, creating a building that is half architecture half canvas. Accompanying these delicate etchings are vibrant ALPOLIC Prismatic Series panels, cut into dynamic trapezoids, many wrapping around the building’s corners.
Fred Slade, senior project manager with EDA Contractors, notes those smooth transitions were deceptively difficult, calling them “remarkable in their precision and erection.” EDA’s company motto is Successful Together, and that was certainly exemplified on this project. “The diagonal, that was a bit of a challenge itself. To get everything perfect from the form to frame that so those corners worked – everything had to be perfectly plumb. Everybody was at the top of their game on this project.”
Creating an interior that is an experience
The same paneling that frames the glass façade is brought into the space with a skylight feature able to take your breath away. Using specialized mica flakes, the prismatic series takes a life of its own as colors shift depending on the light and viewing angle. In total, over 10,000 square feet of 6mm fire-resistant Prismatic Magma MRT finish features inside and out; it supports the artwork on the exterior, while additional MCM panels feature on the baffle ceiling installed over the atrium. The ever-changing color of the metal composite materials complements the mural’s color and speaks the forward-moving activity of the Far Rockaway community.
Increasing the visual interest on the second floor, dichroic glass shifts the filtering sunlight into a cascade of colors and an art installation titled “Feynman diagrams” written in a code based on the work of Far Rockaway-born physicist Richard Feynman. Artist Pablo Helguera used the system for two quotations: “The brain is wider than the sky,” by Emily Dickinson and “I, a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe,” by Feynman.
On the lower level, serene high gloss 6mm SAW White cascades behind the information desk and showcases the versatility of the product. Over 2,500 square feet of ALPOLIC /fr White MCM clad the interior walls, creating a soothing and comfortable space for patrons.
Measuring more than twice
“Everybody knows, concrete isn’t perfect,” Slade noted as he detailed out the extensive preparation that went into installing the elaborate baffled ceiling detail. The architect’s 3D model needed to work in the real world, so the fabrication plan was reviewed again and again for success. “We had to marry the skylight drawings, the steel drawings, the concrete drawings, and then have our field Foreman pull actual field dimensions for the locations of the steel.”
In order to fit into the space, the baffled ceiling was created in three large segments at EDA’s shop. The flat panels were folded like origami to bring the vison for the central atrium to life. “I remember thinking they look like a lunar module, and marveling at how these were going to be hung in the air,” remarked Slade.
The elaborate glass work and atrium of inverted pyramids made from ALPOLIC Prismatic series bring in both natural light and a sense of wonder. “I have been in the business 42 years,” remarked Slade, “and this is the most difficult thing I've ever had to do, to brainstorm.” The hard worked paid off. “It’s incredible to see.”
Partnering for success
The right materials not only provided the right look, but the necessary workability and lightweight needed to create the elaborate centerpiece to Far Rockaway Library. While there were other options for material manufacturers, for Slade the choice was clear. “I’ve worked with other companies and have lost faith in them. Something happened and we weren’t getting the services we needed.” He continued, “ALPOLIC was able to deliver what we needed, when we needed it.”
“When someone performs, you stick with them, you know?”
Safe, beautiful ALPOLIC materials inspire design
During a moment of struggle the library became a center for collective action as the community rallied with a distribution center for supplies. Building on that legacy of hope, the new library, now double in size, will grow in significance for the pocket of Queens as a hub for collaboration and progress. Deservingly, the project won a NYC Annual Award for Excellence in Design and met the LEED Gold standard for environmental efficiency with the help of sustainable MCM.
