The Rose Main Reading Room in the New York Public Library (NYPL) reopened in 2016 after a $12 million renovation. CNN Style spoke with the Library's director of research libraries, Bill Kelly, about the refurbishment process.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
The Rose Main Reading Room in the New York Public Library (NYPL) reopened in 2016 after a $12 million renovation. CNN Style spoke with the Library's director of research libraries, Bill Kelly, about the refurbishment process.
Max Touhey Photography
"One of the plaster rosettes fell, fortunately in the middle of the night because it was falling from a height of 52 feet and someone could have been killed, not to put too fine a point on it," says Kelly, of why the NYPL undertook the renovations.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"One of the plaster rosettes fell, fortunately in the middle of the night because it was falling from a height of 52 feet and someone could have been killed, not to put too fine a point on it," says Kelly, of why the NYPL undertook the renovations.
Max Touhey Photography
"We spent $12 million. We had to do it and we had to do it the right way. Not simply for the security of our patrons and our staff, but this is one of the greatest buildings certainly in New York City, I would argue in the country."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"We spent $12 million. We had to do it and we had to do it the right way. Not simply for the security of our patrons and our staff, but this is one of the greatest buildings certainly in New York City, I would argue in the country."
Max Touhey Photography
"The library plays a hybrid role in 2016. We are in the information business and while the modality for providing that information has changed, our role has not. With the explosion of technology, the world of the libraries has expanded and grown geometrically. We keep pace with the demands of technology."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"The library plays a hybrid role in 2016. We are in the information business and while the modality for providing that information has changed, our role has not. With the explosion of technology, the world of the libraries has expanded and grown geometrically. We keep pace with the demands of technology."
Jonathan Blanc/Photo: Jonathan Blanc ( The New York Public Library )
"We are called upon to provide increasingly broad access to information to our general research staff, our 88 branches, and to people who are in need of information services," Kelly says of the Library's role.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"We are called upon to provide increasingly broad access to information to our general research staff, our 88 branches, and to people who are in need of information services," Kelly says of the Library's role.
Max Touhey Photography
"The ceiling is 52 feet (15.8 meters) high. We had to build scaffolding of 42 feet high (12.8 meters) so we could access the ceiling and the inspection could take place, which was a time consuming and expensive process," Kelly says.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"The ceiling is 52 feet (15.8 meters) high. We had to build scaffolding of 42 feet high (12.8 meters) so we could access the ceiling and the inspection could take place, which was a time consuming and expensive process," Kelly says.
Jonathan Blanc/Photo: Jonathan Blanc ( The New York Public Library )
"We began with the scaffolding, then reinforced the material with steel cabling. We had to be faithful to the architectural vision of Carrère and Hastings, who designed the building at the beginning of the 20th century, and that meant recasting some materials."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"We began with the scaffolding, then reinforced the material with steel cabling. We had to be faithful to the architectural vision of Carrère and Hastings, who designed the building at the beginning of the 20th century, and that meant recasting some materials."
Jonathan Blanc/Photo: Jonathan Blanc ( The New York Public Library )
"The main building on 42nd street really began in 1900 with the deconstruction of the reservoir. The corner stone was laid in 1902 and 9 years of construction took place," says Kelly of the original building.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"The main building on 42nd street really began in 1900 with the deconstruction of the reservoir. The corner stone was laid in 1902 and 9 years of construction took place," says Kelly of the original building.
Max Touhey Photography
"The building is a remarkable and iconic tribute to the elegance and the significance of the work that the library undertook, a tribute to the dignity of research, education and learning."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"The building is a remarkable and iconic tribute to the elegance and the significance of the work that the library undertook, a tribute to the dignity of research, education and learning."
Max Touhey Photography
"The reading room itself and the catalogue room opened in 1911. It's a place that creates an opportunity for research, for quiet study."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"The reading room itself and the catalogue room opened in 1911. It's a place that creates an opportunity for research, for quiet study."
Max Touhey Photography
"During renovation, all the books were stored at our space under Bryant Park. We were so delighted to watch them come back. It was lonely to be in that space without the books."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"During renovation, all the books were stored at our space under Bryant Park. We were so delighted to watch them come back. It was lonely to be in that space without the books."
Max Touhey Photography
"The mural on the ceiling has been restored and it is spectacular. The extraordinary rosettes, the renaissance suggestions that are up there," Kelly says, naming some of the most impressive features of the renovation.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"The mural on the ceiling has been restored and it is spectacular. The extraordinary rosettes, the renaissance suggestions that are up there," Kelly says, naming some of the most impressive features of the renovation.
Max Touhey Photography
"But for me the great emblem is the windows. They are a soaring space that bring natural light to the room which is functional but symbolic. The ways in which knowledge, reading, research, and history are made available to people are echoed in the windows."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"But for me the great emblem is the windows. They are a soaring space that bring natural light to the room which is functional but symbolic. The ways in which knowledge, reading, research, and history are made available to people are echoed in the windows."
Max Touhey Photography
"We are digitizing as much of our material as we can so that they're available across the world but we have 55 million items and not all of them are going to be digitized."
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"We are digitizing as much of our material as we can so that they're available across the world but we have 55 million items and not all of them are going to be digitized."
Jonathan Blanc
"It is our responsibility to take good care of it and to hand it off to the subsequent generations in as good of a shape as we received it and hopefully better," adds Kelly.
Rose Main Reading Room, The New York Public Library —
"It is our responsibility to take good care of it and to hand it off to the subsequent generations in as good of a shape as we received it and hopefully better," adds Kelly.
Max Touhey Photography