New Canarsie library to be one of NYC’s first mass timber public buildings
Renderings courtesy of Studio Joseph
Canarsie’s new library will become one of New York City’s first public buildings constructed from mass timber. City officials on Saturday celebrated the groundbreaking of the new Canarsie Library, a two-story, 11,000-square-foot branch on Rockaway Parkway and Avenue J that doubles the size of the previous building to better serve current and future patrons. The project highlights the city’s adoption of mass timber, a sustainable, low-carbon building method that combines natural beauty with climate-related benefits. The new library is scheduled to open next year.
The new facility will include larger, dedicated spaces for adults, teens, and children, along with stroller parking. A flexible meeting room with space for up to 50 people will be available for public use. The branch will also feature a landscaped terrace, a public recording studio, a maker space, and an outdoor area.
Sustainability features will include all-new heating, cooling, and electrical systems, along with on-site stormwater management and solar panels. These elements will create a welcoming environment that feels open, warm, and connected to the community it serves.
Patrons will enter through a dramatic new facade that floods the interior with natural light during the day and serves as a community beacon in the evenings. Shawmut Design and Construction will oversee the construction of the library, having previously completed the Sunset Park and Adams Street branches.
The design and construction team also includes Studio Joseph, Envoie Projects, Mercer Mass Timber, Plus Group, TYLin, and W Architecture. To shape the project’s design, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and Studio Joseph consulted hundreds of Canarsie residents, librarygoers, community organizations, elected officials, and service providers, ensuring the new branch reflects the community’s needs.
Wendy Joseph, principal of Studio Joseph, emphasized the importance of public engagement in shaping the library’s design.
“The library is forged by public engagement. The ideas of natural materials, a landscaped terrace, special areas for teens and children, and spaces for community gathering emerged from listening to the community,” Joseph said. “The building is transparent by day and a lantern by night—and an open invitation for education and social bonding.”
The project marks a step forward in the city’s adoption of mass timber construction. As part of a 2022 order signed by former Mayor Eric Adams, which directs city agencies to reduce embodied carbon in construction projects, the NYC Mass Timber Studio was created to raise awareness, identify opportunities, and accelerate the use of mass timber across the city.
As part of its first cohort, the studio awarded grants and provided assistance to seven projects incorporating mass timber across the city, including the replacement of the New Lots BPL branch in East New York. Its second cohort features the new Canarsie Library, as well as what will be the city’s largest mass timber housing development on the Stapleton Waterfront along Staten Island’s North Shore.
David Margolius, executive vice president of Shawmut Design and Construction’s New York Metro region, called the project an “exciting milestone” for Canarsie.
“Breaking ground on the Canarsie Library is an exciting milestone for the community and project team,” Margolius said. “This is our third project with BPL, and it’s rewarding to see how thoughtful planning, design, and construction translates into spaces that truly serve New Yorkers.”
He added: “We’re especially proud that the cross-laminated timber structure will make this one of the city’s first public mass timber buildings, advancing a more sustainable built environment.”
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