Schenectady County Library Plaza

Schenectady, New York

The design for a new plaza for the Schenectady County Library is intended to both respect and complement the existing historic building. Construction began in 2014 and planting will take place in the Spring of 2015. On the north side, the design eliminated areas of overgrown vegetation to create a sense of openness and include a small seating plaza. The prominent corner plaza on the south has been activated through the addition of a seatwall, planting beds, a shade tree, and a restored modern sculpture that will be installed in the spring along with the plantings.  The pedestrian walk along Liberty Street has been retrofitted to create more planting beds, add more pedestrian detail, and replace the failing wall system that surrounded the honey locusts. This portion of the project was particularly challenging given the desire to save the trees and the number of utilities located below the walls.