BPL Plaza Post-Renovation
Well, the renovation of the Brooklyn Public Library plaza at Grand Army Plaza that’s taken the better part of two years is complete. When we walked by on Sunday, the final product—heavy on the marble—looked pretty nice, if a tad bit cold, to us. As Gowanus Lounge remarked, the main stairway is now lined with…
Well, the renovation of the Brooklyn Public Library plaza at Grand Army Plaza that’s taken the better part of two years is complete. When we walked by on Sunday, the final product—heavy on the marble—looked pretty nice, if a tad bit cold, to us. As Gowanus Lounge remarked, the main stairway is now lined with yellow chains, an effort, evidently, to keep people from frolicking in the fountains on either end of the steps. Do you think this’ll end up being a place where people actually hang out? Presumably that was the intention.
Checking In On The BPL Plaza Renovation[Brownstoner] GMAP
I love that building, and have been going to that library since I was in my early 20’s…
Definitely folks will hang out on the steps and enjoy themselves in the Spring, Summer and Fall… they already have been!
On the ground floor there’s a small cafe now too.
I love, love, love that library.
The building looks great, but the yellow links are fugly. How about an electronic fence instead?
Yes, please check out the space UNDERNEATH. That’s the big deal. Also, I was there the other day when they had chairs with shade umbrellas out at the front of the plaza, and while I wondered how much I’d want to sit next to the mess that is GAP, on my way out I gave it a try. Granted it was sunny and breezy and the traffic was at a minimum (not rush hour, although there was road work being done)I was AMAZED at how NICE it was to sit for a minute outside. It gets pretty stuffy inside…
With the high ballustrade/wall separating me from Flatbush Ave, it didn’t seem so crazy to me as a place to eat if you weren’t into the park bench kind of thing next door. And yes, I know, there are picnic benches, but they’ve got the old ketchup etc you’ve got to clear away before you sit.
Not commenting on the aesthetics, but I think a lot of the work went in to the wheelchair ramps along the two sides. The major points seem to have been to create more platform space for sitting, performances and the like, and to add the accessibility ramps, without tampering much with the overall feel. There was probably no way to do that without busting the whole thing up and starting over, even if the visual change is minimal in the end. Maybe someone from BPL can post and say more.
Thankfully they did not muck up this building like the Brooklyn Museum travesty.
when the weather was warmer, it was fun to hang out on the steps and let your feet dangle in the mini-fountains on the steps. My daughters also had a blast playing in them and are always begging to go back, so we’re sad about the yellow chains.
this picture doesn’t show it very, but the renovation looks great. more plants, fountains, etc. Now if they would just start on restoring the parkway between GAP and Washington. That were suppossed to start this fall, but that project has been postponed presumably.
A friend who works at the library told me that the bulk of the work during the renovation was to add a new theater/lecture hall space, which lies below the stairs and is obviously only accessible only from the inside of the building.
yes – it doesn’t seem much different from this picture. Its cleaner looking, etc. but its nothing like the change to the Museum. People have always hungout on steps, hopefully it won’t be discouraged (and hopefully it will be civilized)
still a great great building inside and out.
They took 2 years to do that? I can’t see any big differences in the picture. Maybe I have to go to take a look.