RICHMOND HILL COMMUNITY LIBRARY
Expanding access and introducing native planting in a historic library open space
Location: Queens, New York
Client: Queens Public Library, NYC Department of Design and Construction
Services Provided: Landscape Architecture
Collaborators: Marpillero Pollak Architects, Applied Design Initiative
Designing for Site Biodiversity
Assemblage is collaborating on a new design for the Richmond Hill Library landscape. Surrounding an historic building from 1905 by architects Tuthill and Higgins, the new proposed landscape envisions a welcoming and engaging space for library visitors and the greater Richmond Hill community.
Access to the landscape is opened by a new network of paths and a reading terrace for open air reading and gathering in new native plant gardens that support local urban ecology. The design signals a transition away from an unoccupiable area behind a fence to an occupiable public greenspace for the surrounding community. The design features a shaded reading garden with water feature, rain gardens, a sunny grass meadow, and a birch grove with stepped-terraces that overlooks the historic Richmond Hill Train station viaduct.
The site planting plan was designed to transform existing site conditions into a diverse and robust ecosystem. Designing for local bird and insect species, it was important to provide food, shelter, and nesting materials within the site.
