East Hampton Library Opens New Children's Addition June 21
The East Hampton Library’s new addition will finally open its doors to the community on June 21 at 11:30 a.m.
The opening celebration will feature tours of the new addition, music by the East Hampton Middle School’s all-girl chorus, the Bonnettes, and brief speeches by the library’s board of managers.
The 6,800-square-foot New Children’s Addition, constructed by Ben Krupinski Builders, and designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, will allow for the addition of 10,000 more children’s books, new computers and technology, and age-appropriate environments based on group suggestions. The interior design of the addition is both whimsical and informative, blending the nautical heritage of the surrounding seaside community while also creating an effective and fun learning environment for the children, according to the library. Interior design elements by Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership include tall, blinking lighthouses, a large windmill with shelves and seating, and a boat-shaped librarian’s information desk. The New Children’s Addition architectural style blends with previous construction on the library, and the original structure.
The Baldwin Family Lecture Room, located on the lower-level floor, provides space for community programs, meetings, film screenings, reading, lectures, and other book events. Baldwin donated $1 million to the new addition project in November, allowing for a live-stream of the New York Public Library’s programs, and other institutions around the world.
The lower-level floor also includes a gallery-style lobby, which will feature lighted wall exhibition space for art displays. New landscape features have also been added to the property, including a children’s “secret garden,” with imaginative topiary plantings, designed and installed by Marders.