New Lots Library redesign will recognize site’s legacy as an African Burial Ground
Renderings courtesy of MASS Design & Marble Fairbanks Architects
A transformational library redesign in East New York will honor the site’s legacy as an African Burial Ground. The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) on Saturday revealed plans for the redesigned New Lots Library by MASS Design and Marble Fairbanks, designed to better serve local residents and recognize the formerly unacknowledged African Burial Ground while celebrating African American culture. The library is slated to close for construction in fall 2025.
The redesign, informed by extensive research and community outreach from 2019 to 2021, uses input from interviews, surveys, and focus groups. The new library aims to meet the diverse needs of East New York residents while honoring the site’s historical significance.
The 25,000-square-foot facility will feature an additional level, hosting a variety of public spaces and services to enhance accessibility and better serve the community.
Inspired by Sanford Biggers’ monument “Lifting the Veil,” a new facade design will reflect the site’s transformation from a hidden burial ground to a cultural education hub and space for community activism.
The design marks a collaboration between MASS Design Group and Marble Fairbanks—design firms known for their work on libraries, cultural centers, and other community hubs. It is one of seven projects in the inaugural cohort of the NYC Mass Timber Studio, which aims to embrace the use of timber as a model for future public buildings.
The new space will offer specialized services for children and adults on separate floors, along with a dedicated area for the New Lots Library Adult Learning Center, providing adult education programs such as high school equivalency diplomas, literacy, and citizenship preparation.
New third-floor terraces and a landscaped plaza surrounding the library will provide expanded space for the community. A flexible meeting room can be divided to host multiple programs, including a new music room and exhibition areas for the arts.
To further honor the site’s legacy, the library will feature a “Palaver Concept,” inspired by African traditions of communal dialogue. This design creates spaces for gathering, learning, reconciliation, and cultural celebration throughout the library, encouraging conversation and connection.
The project continues the long-term community work for reconciliation, including the 2013 renaming of the block as African Burial Ground Square and the 2019-2022 redesign of the soon-to-be-opened Sankofa Park.
“The plans unveiled today represent a new chapter for not only New Lots Library, but for all of East New York. The library will serve as a community space for remembrance and reconciliation, and, of course, provide the neighborhood with books that inspire compassion and curiosity,” Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of BPL, said.
The redesign is funded through multiple sources, including the City of New York, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, former Council Member Inez Barron, the New York State Education Department, and participatory budgeting from the 42nd Council District.
While the library is closed for construction, BPL will ensure uninterrupted access to resources by continuing to offer programming and services to the community.
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