We’re happy to announce that the architectural work on the Selden building renovation received a special projects award from the Long Island chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The firm of Bermello Ajamil & Partners were recognized for their work on the project.

Here’s their description of the award winning design:

“Reinvention and innovation breed longevity and in the case of this energetic library addition and reconfiguration, contemporary needs and an expansive vision for the future are creatively fulfilled

The design team was tasked with introducing a program-centric operational model whilst bridging the disparate aesthetic of the existing library which merges the 1950s-era civic brick Selden Elementary School with an iconic and multi-hued 1990s Selden Cultural Center of exposed steel, masonry and terracotta. Emphasis is placed on providing unique experiences for children, young adult and adult patrons.

The ground floor is re-allocated to youth programming with careful attention offered to the arrival experience. An existing porte-cochere that placed vehicles within arms-length of the opaque entry was thoughtfully infilled with a fully-glazed, light-infused lobby that hints of new experiences offered within, seated in a landscaped plaza.

Automated sorting self-check technologies that modernize material handling are introduced within a bold, metallic-red cube nested within the jewel box entry. Interior storefront engraved with classic book titles offers the curious patron a glimpse of these hi-tech inner workings.

On the lower level, families descend a gentle ramp to the rhythm of soaring, color-saturated tensile structures that provide visual breaks and acoustic relief from the adult area mezzanine above. The procession arrives to the children’s library highlighted by a double-height children’s activity room adorned with fairy-tale entry façade housing oversized portal doors and whimsical flying kite structures.

The mezzanine is re-envisioned with unique and modern features such as the nook reading banquette, a computer bar perched along the mezzanine edge with overlook, ample charging stations, group study rooms and traditional book and media stacks.”