As general contractor, Infinity completed all demolition, carpentry, and MEP on this project. Phase 1 was 53,000-sf renovation completing June 2007. Phase II was the 40,000-sf addition. World renowned New York Architect Robert A. M. Stern was the project designer. The addition includes a new two-story sky lit lobby at the building’s center. At the end of the main hall there is a grand stair with another skylight to bring natural light down to the main level. The main level includes a major expansion to children’s library. Upstairs are quiet reading rooms, and an 80-station technology center, along with a large audiovisual department to accommodate the library’s large collection of videos, CDs and DVDs. The original building’s MEP systems were entirely replaced by energy-efficient systems. The project was designed using LEED® certifiable principles, but did not seek formal certification.
One challenge of this project included how to tie in the new addition to the existing library in a seamless way and avoiding water intrusion. Infinity completed this work while the existing library remained occupied. We salvaged and re-used a significant amount of material from the old building including steel, concrete, stone and brick. A complex craft challenge was to extend the grand staircase in the older buidling to the new additon. This was accomplished using precast stone panels and the result is a seamless connection. We installed temporary walls around the staircase while completing the work to protect the public. The project is located on a very busy street that required a careful logistics plan both to control traffic and make deliveries of large construction materials. The project completed one month ahead of schedule, and on-budget, with no loss time accidents.
