2018 Best of Design Award for Public: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Designer: Marble Fairbanks
Location: New York
As a division of the New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading research facilities that focuses exclusively on the history and culture of people of African descent. Marble Fairbanks’s project covered the center’s three interconnected buildings, the Schomburg Building, the Langston Hughes Building, and the Landmark Building. Restoration work on the Landmark Building—originally designed by McKim, Mead & White—was joined by a new addition to the Schomburg Building, which houses a gift shop and a conference room. Extensive interior renovations were made to research divisions, reading rooms, archival storage units, and new gallery spaces. The design enhances how the center interfaces with the Harlem community and the greater public by displaying portions of its vast collection on street-facing screens. Features of this design include LED display systems, interactive information panels, and a new streetscape.
Structural Engineer:
Robert Silman Associates
Mep Engineer:
Plus Group Consulting Engineering
Civil Engineer:
Leonard J. Strandberg and Associates
Lighting Design:
Richard Shaver Architectural Lighting
Historic Preservation:
Li/Saltzman Architects
Landscape Architect:
SCAPE
Honorable Mentions
Project Name:
Banc of California Stadium
Designer:
Gensler
Location:
Los Angeles
Project Name:
River’s Edge Pavilion
Designer:
Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture
Location:
Council Bluffs, Iowa
