Brooklyn’s New Lots Library is undergoing a transformative redesign by MASS Design Group and Marble Fairbanks Architects, bringing East New York a community space that celebrates the neighborhood’s heritage while fostering reconciliation and restorative justice.
Expected for completion in 2028, the 25,000-square-foot library will include reading and music rooms, learning and exhibition spaces, an auditorium, and outdoor gathering areas. The project aligns with ongoing local efforts such as the renaming of the block to African Burial Ground Square in 2013 and the revitalization of Sankofa Park.
“The plans unveiled today represent a new chapter for not only New Lots Library, but all of East New York,” says Linda E. Johnson, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library. “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.”
A History Rooted in Recognition
The New Lots Library occupies a burial ground for enslaved and freed African Americans during the Revolutionary War era. The land became home to the library in 1957. Over the years, the community advocated for acknowledgment of those buried on the grounds. This history deeply informs the redesign, making the library a living memorial.
“It’s our job as designers to incorporate history into the future of place and try to acknowledge and heal the past, creating a new and shared future that benefits the community,” says Jonathan Evans, principal at MASS Design Group. “Growing up in New York, I saw architecture’s potential, and its complicity, in controlling the narrative and priorities of those in power. Being able to deliver change through the reformation of New Lots Library is a clear demonstration of change to honestly reflect history and celebrate the people and community the library serves.”
Karen Fairbanks, Marble Fairbanks founding partner, echoes that sentiment. “Here at the New Lots Library, we hope this project expands that trust by acknowledging past wrongs and offering spaces inside and out that empower the East New York community to grow, to make, to learn, to advocate, and to continue their journey,” Fairbanks says.
Community-Centered Design
The redesign process was shaped by extensive community engagement. Through meetings and feedback sessions, MASS and Marble Fairbanks collaborated with residents to ensure the space embodies celebration, healing, and empowerment. The result is a design philosophy centered on six principles: acknowledgment, empowerment, reflection, invitation, liberation, and celebration.
Inspired by African traditions, the library’s central gathering space, or "palaver," will foster dialogue and shared memory. This area, made of mass timber, features branch-like beams that symbolize connection and growth.
The New Lots Library is part of the inaugural cohort of the NYC Mass Timber Studio, an initiative by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) aimed at advancing decarbonization in construction through early-stage mass timber projects. As a pioneering example of mass timber use in New York, the library highlights the potential of this renewable material, setting a benchmark for future public buildings.
A Visionary Design Rooted in Heritage
The building’s design incorporates elements that acknowledge the site’s history while promoting community interaction. The library’s facade, inspired by Sanford Biggers’ monument “Lifting the Veil,” features a woven veil-like structure that serves as both a memorial and a modern architectural statement. Bronze legacy markers embedded in the veil highlight the community’s diverse history and create a tapestry of stories visible to visitors.
As visitors pass through the plaza and enter the library, the design seamlessly bridges past and present. Glass walls connect the building to the adjacent burial ground, allowing for clear lines of visibility and encouraging contemplation. These visual connections extend to interior spaces, where a central open staircase invites exploration across multiple levels.
Spaces That Foster Connection and Creativity
The library’s lower level features a multipurpose auditorium that serves as a celebratory venue while maintaining its reflective connection to the burial ground through large glass panels.
The Adult Learning Center, located on the upper floor, features terraces that provide sweeping views of the plaza and the Brooklyn and Manhattan skylines, connecting users to the city’s broader landscape.
A plaza will connect the burial ground across the library and Sankofa Park, offering the recognition and reverence the site and its remains deserve. This design, refined by Elizabeth Kennedy Architects and Jordan Weber, harmonizes the burial ground's geometry with the park. The site will include a Remembrance Plaza and a smaller Reflection Circle, both oriented toward the reinterment marker in Sankofa Park, providing spaces for quiet contemplation.
Visitors entering the library through the plaza and passing beneath the facade veil will find an open area housing African American collections. Adjacent to the sacred burial ground, the glass-enclosed area enhances the connection between the plaza and burial ground through clear sightlines.
