On Friday, August 13, the AIANY Women in Architecture Committee hosted our first in-person event in more than a year—a tour of the recently completed Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library that is now open to public. The $200-million gut renovation, designed by Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle, includes eight floors of important amenities serving users of all ages.

Kerry Nolan, AIA, Senior Associate, Beyer Blinder Belle, and Advisory Board member of the AIANY WIA Committee, led the tour, which started on the public roof terrace with gorgeous views of the city and the “Wizard’s Hat”. We continued the tour through all floors down to the Children’s Library and Teen Space on the lowest level. Kerry provided interesting insights into the process behind the design and construction of the New York Public Library building. The furniture, finishes, lighting, acoustics, and graphics were all carefully considered, detailed, curated and executed. The design features a large triple height space that cuts through existing floor slabs connecting the floors housing the general circulating collection, bringing in abundant light, and exposing newly added mezzanine floors connected by a series of bridges spanning the void.

We thank Kerry and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library for the tour as well as those who attended. We encourage all our members to visit the library and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events in September!