The Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center
The Queens Borough Public Library
Queens, NY
1999
The Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center was founded in 1969 to meet the local community’s need for an educational and cultural center that explored the Black Experience. Its centerpiece is the Black Heritage Reference Center, the largest circulating collection of books, magazines and artifacts on Langston Hughes in New York. In the late nineties, the collection outgrew its former storefront building, and Davis Brody Bond designed a facility to accommodate its ever-expanding collection and to provide for future growth in functions and services.
The two-story building’s ground floor contains the library – a general circulation area, a Black Heritage Reference Room and a children’s library. Located on the second floor are the administrative offices as well as community-based facilities that include an art gallery and a multi-purpose hall for concerts and lectures. The adjacent outdoor plaza is designed for cultural events and community activities.
The entrance is distinguished by a 28-foot-high wall etched with selected writings and an image of Langston Hughes. This powerful image and the words are intended to draw in visitors, establishing the library as a place not only to read books, but also to explore one’s heritage.
Awards:
Building Award for Excellence
Queens County Builders & Contractors Association, Inc.
1999
