The Wagner Middle School is a large school building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for junior high school students. The project is the reconstruction and enlargement of a library space. The goal is to transform this space into the school’s living room.

The librarian requested shelving, a classroom, computer areas, a media center, lounge area and a librarian’s desk. The young principal imagined a space that could morph from a classroom to an informal crescent layout to a formal meeting area for the teachers and parents. We manipulated the space by creating a series of waves. Waves of knowledge, expressed as deep shelving with an undulating soffit above and a waving flooring pattern below, create intimate spaces, where the young adults can linger. Low shelving units in the main library space define the various reading areas. The use of light and dark wood characterizes the periphery and the middle section of the space.

All furniture is modular, light and stackable. The ergonomic chairs and lounge furniture, as well as the modular tables can be reconfigured easily to suit the needs of each day. The computer niches are set near the main desk, where the librarian will have an unobstructed view to the whole library space.

All materials and finishes used in the project are environmentally friendly, recyclable and contain low VOC.