Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library is a multi-story library building in Midtown Manhattan housing collections across several floors with modern facilities. The structure includes reading areas, work spaces, and learning centers designed to serve different visitor needs.

The building was originally constructed as a commercial structure in the early twentieth century and later converted to serve library functions. A recent renovation transformed the space into its current modern form with updated facilities and improved access.

This library serves as a gathering space where people from different backgrounds come to study, work, and connect with one another. Visitors experience it as a community hub where daily activities and programs create a sense of belonging in the heart of the city.

The location sits on a main avenue with easy public transit access and is straightforward to find on foot in the Midtown area. Free entry allows visitors to explore the spaces at their own pace without needing prior arrangements or reservations.

A soaring atrium connects multiple levels of open book stacks, allowing visitors to browse across several stories while remaining in one continuous visual space. An accessible rooftop terrace provides views of the surrounding city blocks and offers a quiet retreat above the busy street below.

Location: Manhattan

Inception: 1970

Architects: T. Joseph Bartley, Mecanoo

Architectural style: Neoclassical architecture

Part of: New York Public Library Branch Libraries

Address: 455 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016

Phone: +12123400863

Website: https://nypl.org/locations/snfl

GPS coordinates: 40.75206,-73.98189

Latest update: December 10, 2025 15:55