Korean Cultural Center New York Library | PRAXES Architecture and Interior Design

PRAXES, a New York-based architecture and interior design studio recently completed the library project on the third floor of the Korean Cultural Center’s new building in midtown Manhattan. PRAXES aimed to create a space with a Korean aesthetic and spatial characters that welcomes everyone, through clear conceptual and material language.

This project highlights a space defined by books. PRAXES designed a square cluster of double-sided custom bookcases to address the site, which is surrounded by glass walls open to an atrium, rear yard, and roof garden, while ensuring the requirements from the library. This design creates an inner ‘courtyard’ and a continuous walkway between the bookcases and the glass walls, this resembles Madang, a traditional Korean spatial feature connecting inside and outside. The layered circulation provides a narrative journey drawn from the context of New York City to the space filled with books about Korean culture.

Additionally, the inner courtyard serves as a flexible multipurpose space for archiving, reading, workshops, and events, supporting the Korean Cultural Center’s diverse programs. As the Korean Cultural Center provides a wide range of programs the library functions as a hub for learning and community engagement.

Emphasizing an open layout delineated by books, the design utilizes thin wood profiles and assembly language that lightens the appearance of the framework. The fine structure captures the feeling of being surrounded by books. The latticed storage above the bookcase extends the visual lines from the books, while also drawing inspiration from traditional Korean aesthetics such as Dancheong (traditional multicolored paintwork on wooden building eaves), manifested in the colors and structure of the storage units.

Additionally, the design was developed with a focus on the efficient use of materials. All wood slats and bookcase panels have the same thickness and are cut from the standard board, which was a deliberate choice aimed at reducing construction waste and controlling costs. Furthermore, the assembly language for the lattices has been adapted to other design elements, such as the dropped ceiling, furniture, and screens, maintaining consistency throughout the design while ensuring efficient assembly. The continuous double-loaded bookcases and corner units also provide structural support, reinforcing each other in respective directions.

Collaborator: Studio Empathy
Design Team: Changhak Choi (Studio Empathy), Ji Young Kim (PRAXES)
Photography: Michael Moran