Barnard College LeFrak Center

Barnard College transformed an underutilized gymnasium in the core of their campus to be the temporary home for the library and faculty offices, while the existing library was demolished and a new teaching and learning center erected in its place. To create the necessary space, a new floor was inserted within the gym volume, aligning with the existing building second floor of Barnard Hall. Transparency, access to natural daylight, acoustical considerations, and places for casual interaction drove the design.

The library provides private, public, and collective workspaces, the critical library media and print collections, teaching spaces, and seminar rooms that support the college's excellence in education. Future uses are critical to the design. The library space will eventually convert to an auditorium so the appropriate infrastructure is designed to facilitate the future occupancy without significant change. The new second-floor office suite will be reconfigured to include teaching and casual learning spaces.