The 29,000-square-foot (2,694-m2) Merrick Library in Merrick, N.Y., houses more than 85,000 books, 4,200 audio materials, nearly 4,000 video materials and 250 serial subscriptions.
By day, light enters the building through a central atrium and the reading rooms are oriented toward a rear garden, providing visitors with the natural light they need to read along with an aesthetically pleasing environment where they can do it.
Architectural firm Beatty-Harvey & Associates, N.Y., designed the library. Designer Sal Coco noted that the reading room’s two-story atrium faces a main thoroughfare and a commute rail station, casting an amber glow at night that distinguishes the library as a beacon in the community.
The new facility features large spacious reading rooms for adults, young adults and children, as well as a multipurpose room where anything from a yoga class to a small concert can be held.
Beatty-Harvey chose the Englert Series 1300 tern-coated stainless-steel roofing panels by Perth Amboy, N.J.-based Englert Inc. for the structure due to its durability and aesthetics.
“We have used it in the past on projects, and our consideration has been the life-cycle cost of the material,” Coco said. “We know it cost a little more up front, but in the long run it will last longer and require less maintenance than other kinds of roofs.”
Sullivan Builders Group, Bay Shore, N.Y., was the project’s general contractor; ADPI, Avenel, N.J., was the fabricator; and All Seasons Siding, Long Island, N.Y., installed the roof.
