Scarsdale Public Library Expansion and Renovation

Lead Designers Domingo Gonzalez, Ilva Dodaj, Mingyu Dong

Entry Description

An integral part of its community, this library expansion and renovation serves as a welcoming resource, offering public meeting spaces, conference rooms, computer stations, children’s reading and interaction areas, all with librarian support distributed throughout the facility.
The lighting design is characterized by its approachable aspect, from the entrance canopy to the library’s most intimate spaces. Walls are lit to create visual destinations, reinforcing movement and intuitive wayfinding, and most importantly, emphasizing the surfaces that visitors interact with. Close coordination with the architectural team led to a concept that conceals lighting in coves and wood slat ceilings, relying on a limited yet flexible inventory of luminaires, selected to prioritize both visual comfort and maintainability. Electric lighting complements daylight, admitted via generous clerestories, skylights and floor-to-ceiling glazing, rendering the library visually transparent and inviting.
Design began prior to the pandemic, which paused construction at a critical time. Supply chain scrambles complicated construction, lighting submittal approvals, and lighting site observation sessions. Despite opening much later than anticipated, the library is poised to take on the challenges of the 21st century to serve as a versatile and central hub of lifelong learning.

Sustainability Approach

The library’s distinct functions required tailored lighting solutions for each area type while considering both daylight and electric light, in accordance with energy code requirements and best practices for visual acuity. Accordingly, the project balances the principles of IES RP-4 Lighting Library Spaces with the constraints imposed by the state Energy Code by utilizing a centralized daylight-responsive lighting controls system to ensure an appropriate ratio of illumination throughout operating hours. Lighting power density was verified via COMCheck.