A Round Table with Four Legs

If the library is a table, the world underneath becomes the tectonics of the table, quietly holding it in place. With the site at East Haven, the context is adjacent to the neighborhood, surrounded by floodwaters, and intersected by an existing road that runs through it. The project both functions as a library and a community center, inviting neighborhoods and communities to gather and linger. This occurs both metaphorically and literally, as the table itself.

The table consists of four legs, a transparent wrapper, the table plane, and a center table underneath, which is both dimensionally and materially a projection of the skylight above. The library exists in an ambiguity of scale, where the physical boundaries between interior and exterior are softly blurred. With the roof accessible and the sky gently alluded to, the space creates a sense of expansiveness and inclusivity. The community table serves as a quiet symbol of unity and commonality, inviting all to gather and partake in the knowledge and resources the library has to offer.