Our renovation at the Center for Brooklyn History is nearly complete and soon to be open to the public!
Leading up to the renovation, we worked closely with Brooklyn Public Library and CBH staff on an assessment report to identify challenges, opportunities, and short- and long-term strategies to transform the once private institution into one that could be utilized and enjoyed by the public. Our renovation includes the revitalization of the entry plaza with new furniture for public seating, centering the entry doors and making them accessible, enhancements to the entrance lobby including a welcome desk and display monitor, adding an accessible ramp to connect the new main entry to the historic landmarked interior entry, flexible lounge seating, custom wayfinding and a new retail area. Stay tuned for more information on the grand opening.
Project Update
We kicked off our work with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) on a feasibility study for their Gladys Marcus Library, located within the Shirley Goodman Resource Center on the FIT campus. The library houses a repository of resources and provides a multitude of services and programs that support the university’s academic community and the international fashion industry.
We recently hosted tabling sessions and workshops with students, faculty, and the greater campus community, who have been eager to share their thoughts and visions for the new library space. Stay tuned for project updates over the following months, as we continue to work to transform the Gladys Marcus Library into a vibrant and innovative hub that meets the evolving needs of FIT.
We have just completed schematic design for the National Parks of Boston (NPB) Headquarters which will house administration and staff from the five NPB Directorates. The project will be a gut renovation of a three-story 60,000SF historic building in the Charlestown Navy Yard and will follow guidelines developed in our Workplace Recommendation Report completed for NPB in 2019. This project will bring all NPB Directorates together in one location for the first time with a design that encourages communication and collaboration through a range of spaces that include private conference rooms, studio rooms for interactive work, open flexible work zones, and casual lounge areas. The design incorporates objects and images from the NPB archives and will use reclaimed material from a nearby building slated for demolition to make way for the Gateway Center, another NPB project we are working on.
Our rooftop addition at Saint Luke’s School is complete, welcoming students for a variety of outdoor activities. The addition expands the school’s ground-level outdoor space and provides the opportunity for increased curricular, extracurricular, and athletic activities for students from kindergarten through 8th grade. New rooftop spaces have panoramic views of the city and include a multipurpose play deck for a variety of sports and an outdoor learning zone for experimentation with nature that can also be used for special events.
Construction has begun at the Center for Brooklyn History (CBH), where we’ve been working with Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) to transform the building into a welcoming public destination. The current renovation focuses on the main level with a re-oriented and accessible entrance, new retail space, public lounge areas integrated into the event space, and new connections to the Fransioli Gallery, Othmer library, and exhibition spaces. This project follows a study that identified both short- and long-term strategies for CBH. We are thrilled to be working on this project that consolidates the museum collections from the two foremost Brooklyn archives!
Originally home to the Long Island Historical Society, the building was designed in the late nineteenth century by George B. Post and has since, served a unique variety of purposes. In the 1980’s, it became home to the Brooklyn Historical Society, and now the Center for Brooklyn History within the Brooklyn Public Library system.