Existing comment:
Building a Reservoir of Knowledge:
Before The New York Public Library's flagship location was built, the Croton Reservoir stood at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, supplying the city with drinking water through much of the 19th century. In 1899, construction began on what would become one of the city's most beloved buildings. In the midst of the American "City Beautiful" movement, which drew inspiration from urban aesthetics in Europe, architects John M. Carrere and Thomas Hastings designed the new library in the style of Beaux-Arts classicism, combining ancient Greek and Roman design principles with Italian Renaissance and 17th-century French elements.
Grand in scale with rich decoration, Carrere and Hastings' plan sought to combine both a high cultural mission and functional design. Visitors enter into monumental Astor Hall, flanked by staircases that appear suspended in air, leading to a third-floor main reading room -- a bold idea originally conceived by the Library's first director John Shaw Billings, which aimed to elevate the pursuit of knowledge both physically and metaphorically. Seen here are glimpses into the 12-year process it took to complete the new library, which officially opened on May 23, 1911. The resulting masterpiece became the largest marble structure in the country at the time and a city icon that would be treasured by New Yorkers for generations to come. |