In architecture, typology traditionally organizes spaces into distinct categories—residential, commercial, and public. However, in Sunset Park, these distinctions dissolve under the pressures of immigration, acculturation, and economic necessity, creating a dynamic anti-typology. Rigid zoning merges commerce, residence, and public life, reflecting the evolving needs of a diverse, migrant-rich community. Immigrant experiences, shaped by vibrant street-scapes, storefronts, and markets, challenge the static formality of traditional libraries with their rigid layouts, designated areas, and authoritative policies.
As gentrification pressures intensify along the Brooklyn waterfront, 4th Avenue—a zone designated for the Inclusionary Housing Program—faces transformation. The growing demand for affordable housing and public space calls for a reimagining of libraries as accessible, adaptable, and integrated urban commons.
The Sunset Park Library is reimagined as an urban network of 4th Avenue: an institutional library transformed into an adaptable civic hub, and a catalog of “urban living room libraries” in underutilized, narrow lots throughout the neighborhood. Both libraries are reprogrammed by recategorized and redistributed books to align with community needs, fostering an accessible relationship between content, space, and users.
These interventions redefine “public” for immigrant communities, creating a network of civic anchors and cultural nodes embedded in daily life, fostering resilience and connection.
