Find out about Mecanoo's renovation plans for the New York Public Library's Mid-Manhattan branch at upcoming open house

Mecanoo will be presenting their renovation plans for The New York Public Library's Mid-Manhattan Library at an upcoming open house scheduled, Tuesday, March 6th, 7:00 PM EST (Event details here). The firms founding partner, Francine Houben, will be present alongside Elizabeth Leber of Beyer Blinder Belle, the NY-based firm collaborating on the project. Also attending the presentation, will be New York Public Library Chief Operating Officer, Iris Weinshall. 

The revamp is scheduled to begin later this year, with the branch closing its doors on August 1st for the two-year long, $200 million transformation that will increase the library's accessibility as well as the amount of public space available for research, exhibitions, and educational programs. The renovated branch will feature what is being touted as Midtown’s only free, public roof terrace, as well as a light-filled atrium with five floors of browsable book stacks.

The two firms were commissioned for the redesign in 2015, after the New York Public Library scrapped Norman Foster's controversial proposal of converting the library's main branch, which sits across the street from their Mid-Manhattan building, into a circulating library that would result in the 'eviction' of over 1.2 million books. The two firms, beyond their renovation for the Mid-Manhattan library,  will also be responsible for the overhaul of the adjacent flagship.