Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway Library, one of the borough’s busiest branches and a fixture of Crown Heights since 1914, officially entered a new chapter on August 27 when Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Paul A. Ochoa, and Brooklyn Public Library President and CEO Linda E. Johnson broke ground on a $36 million renovation and expansion. The project will increase the library’s public space by more than 50 percent, make the building fully ADA-accessible for the first time, and add a 13,400-square-foot three-story wing designed by Allied Works, the Portland and Brooklyn-based architecture firm behind the National Veterans Memorial and Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum.
Key Takeaways
- The $36 million project will expand Eastern Parkway Library’s public space by more than 50 percent while preserving the 112-year-old Classical Revival building designed by Raymond Almirall as part of Andrew Carnegie’s branch library gift to New York City.
- Allied Works, led by founder and principal Brad Cloepfil, designed the new 13,400-square-foot three-story wing along Schenectady Avenue, featuring a double-height reading room, reading mezzanine, and a material palette of untreated Belgian oak, coal terrazzo, perforated metal ceilings, and precast concrete.
- The renovated branch will include a main reading room, dedicated teen zone, two children’s zones, a STEAM room, community room, multipurpose room with projector, and a classroom in a restored fireplace room, along with a courtyard and third-floor reading terrace.
- Brooklyn-based artist Oasa DuVerney has been commissioned through the NYC Percent for Art Program to create a series of reflective portraits of writers from the African diaspora, selected in part through community engagement, for the reading mezzanine.
- The Department of Design and Construction expects to hand the building back to Brooklyn Public Library in summer 2028, with an additional eight to twelve weeks needed for book installation, computer setup, and finishing work.
- A temporary pop-up library will open nearby this fall through a partnership with Settlement Housing Fund, with furnishings donated by IKEA and additional support from Amazon, ensuring Crown Heights residents retain library access during construction.
Allied Works Adds a Three-Story Wing That Defers to the Original Carnegie Building
The Eastern Parkway Library sits at 1044 Eastern Parkway, a two-story Classical Revival structure recognized for its limestone facade, long arched windows, and double-height reading rooms with mezzanines overlooking the lower floor. Architect Raymond Almirall designed the building as part of Andrew Carnegie’s early twentieth-century campaign to establish branch libraries across New York City. The branch opened in 1914 and has operated continuously since, becoming one of Brooklyn Public Library’s most heavily used locations.
Allied Works’ expansion adds a new wing along Schenectady Avenue without competing with the original structure. Brad Cloepfil, the firm’s founder and principal, described the design approach as one of paying homage to the Carnegie building rather than asserting a separate architectural identity. The material palette reinforces that restraint: untreated Belgian oak, coal terrazzo, perforated metal ceilings, and precast concrete create an interior that feels grounded without trying to match or mimic the Classical Revival language of the original reading rooms.
Inside the existing building, the original arched windows will be restored to their full presence. The new wing introduces a double-height reading room flooded with natural light, a reading mezzanine, and dedicated zones organized by age and function. The Eastern Parkway Library is the first of three upcoming projects Allied Works is executing with DDC, alongside EMS Station 17 and the Jackson Heights Library, and the design received a 2020 Excellence in Design Award from the NYC Public Design Commission.
The Redesigned Interior Carves Out Distinct Spaces for Every Age Group
The renovation reconfigures the entire interior into purpose-built zones that address how Crown Heights residents actually use the branch. A main reading room anchors the adult programming, joined by a community room and a multipurpose room equipped with a projector. A dedicated teen zone creates a separate space for adolescent patrons, while two children’s zones and a STEAM room target younger visitors. A classroom occupies a restored fireplace room within the original building, preserving one of the branch’s historic details while putting it back into active use.
On the lower floor, the Adult Learning Center finds a permanent home, formalizing a service that has operated in the branch without dedicated space. The upper levels open onto a renovated courtyard with outdoor seating and a third-floor reading terrace surrounded by greenery, adding exterior gathering areas that the original 1914 footprint never anticipated.
The public art component adds another layer of community identity to the expansion. Brooklyn-based artist Oasa DuVerney, commissioned through the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program, will install a series of reflective portraits of writers from the African diaspora on the reading mezzanine. The subjects were selected in part through a community engagement process, tying the artwork to the neighborhood rather than imposing a curatorial decision from outside.
Accessibility and Sustainability Upgrades Address a Century of Deferred Modernization
The Eastern Parkway Library has never been fully ADA-accessible. The renovation corrects that with a new ramped entrance and elevator, along with accessible restrooms throughout the building. These are structural changes that require reworking the footprint of a building designed more than a century before current accessibility standards existed, and they are among the reasons the project carries a $36 million price tag for a branch library.
The sustainability upgrades follow a similar logic of bringing a pre-war building into alignment with contemporary performance standards. A green roof, high-performance glazing, and upgraded HVAC systems are designed both to reduce energy consumption and to protect the library’s collections from temperature and humidity fluctuations. Modern, energy-efficient lighting will replace the existing fixtures, reducing electricity costs. The plumbing and fire alarm systems will also be replaced. After the renovation, the building is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.
DDC Commissioner Ochoa described the project as delivering what the community asked for, referencing the robust engagement process that preceded the design phase. That engagement shaped both the programmatic decisions, such as the dual children’s zones and the permanent Adult Learning Center, and the architectural direction, which prioritized expanding usable space without sacrificing the building’s historic character.
A Temporary Library Keeps Crown Heights Connected During Construction
With the branch closing for an estimated two-year construction period, Brooklyn Public Library has arranged for a temporary pop-up library to open nearby this fall. Settlement Housing Fund, which has operated in Crown Heights for more than 35 years, is providing the physical space. IKEA has donated furnishings, and Amazon is contributing additional support for interim library services.
Settlement Housing Fund President Judy Herbstman noted that the organization’s long presence in the neighborhood made the partnership a natural fit, and described the temporary location as a way to ensure that learning, connection, and opportunity remain within reach for residents during the renovation period. The pop-up will offer book checkouts, programming, and technology access, maintaining the core services that make Eastern Parkway one of the borough’s most visited branches.
Funding for the $36 million project comes from the Office of the Mayor, the New York City Council, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and the New York State Assembly. Borough President Reynoso, who contributed funding, called the Eastern Parkway Library one of the most important public resources the borough can invest in. DDC is managing the construction in partnership with MPCC Corp as the general contractor, with the handover to Brooklyn Public Library expected in summer 2028 and an additional eight to twelve weeks of preparation before the renovated branch reopens to the public.
FAQs
When will the renovated Eastern Parkway Library reopen?
The Department of Design and Construction expects to complete construction and hand the building back to Brooklyn Public Library in summer 2028. After that, the library will need an additional eight to twelve weeks to install books, set up computers, and finalize finishing work before reopening to the public.
Will Crown Heights have library access during construction?
A temporary pop-up library will open nearby this fall, hosted by Settlement Housing Fund with furnishings from IKEA and support from Amazon. The pop-up will offer book checkouts, programs, and technology access throughout the construction period.
Who designed the renovation?
Portland and Brooklyn-based architecture firm Allied Works, led by founder Brad Cloepfil, designed the expansion and renovation. The firm’s portfolio includes the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, and the Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State. DDC is managing the project with MPCC Corp as general contractor.
How is the project funded?
The $36 million renovation is funded by the Office of the Mayor, the New York City Council, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and the New York State Assembly.
