Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy New York City streets in The Bronx, Concourse House boasts a stunning escape directed at children and their imaginations. Created by Michael K. Chen Architecture, The Children’s Library is designed to feel like its own little world, built like a colourful pod where kids can slip into fact and fantasy and learn about the world around them without feeling the pressures of it for at least a little while.

在纽约布朗克斯繁华街道的喧嚣中，大堂大楼以儿童和他们的想象力为中心而自豪。儿童图书馆是由迈克尔·K·陈建筑(Michael K.Chen Architecture)创建的，它的设计让人感觉自己的世界很小，建造起来就像一个五颜六色的吊舱，孩子们可以潜入现实和幻想中，了解周围的世界，至少在一段时间内不会感受到压力。

Concourse House was already a fantastic building and initiative even before this lovely little library was built. The House is a home for women and children that aims to provide women with young children under the age of nine a safe place in which to transition from homelessness. The shelter was established in 1991 and, since then, has been working tirelessly to try and eliminate homelessness in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

在这个可爱的小图书馆建成之前，大堂大楼就已经是一座奇妙的建筑了。妇女和儿童之家是妇女和儿童之家，旨在为9岁以下的妇女提供一个从无家可归过渡到过渡的安全场所。该庇护所成立于1991年，自那时以来，一直在不懈努力，努力消除周围街区的无家可归现象。

The shelter’s emphasis lies in safety, stability, and access to social services and programming that will help women who seek space there successfully transition into more permanent living circumstances, rather than just receiving temporary reprieve from life on the streets. Besides addressing the practical and functional aspects of escaping homelessness, however, Concourse House tries to provide the families under its roof with access to information and learning resources. That’s where the concept to build a Children’s Library came from; kids deserve access to knowledge just as much as adults do.

庇护所的重点在于安全、稳定以及获得社会服务和方案的机会，这些服务和方案将帮助在那里寻求空间的妇女成功地过渡到更永久的生活环境，而不仅仅是从街头生活中得到暂时的缓刑。然而，除了解决逃离无家可归问题的实际和功能方面外，ConCourHouse还试图为在其屋檐下的家庭提供获得信息和学习资源的机会。这就是建立一个儿童图书馆的理念的来源；孩子们和成年人一样，应该获得知识。

The new Children’s Library is part of a shift towards increasing educational programs. Besides just providing books that kids in these difficult circumstances might find helpful or enjoyable, teams working on the project aimed to create an actual immersive space geared specifically towards not just reading but experiencing the joys and benefits of books and reading. That’s why the space includes quiet reading alcoves and areas fit for various kinds of events surrounding books and learning.

新的儿童图书馆是向增加教育项目转变的一部分。除了提供孩子们在这些困难环境下可能会发现有用或令人愉快的书籍之外，项目团队还致力于创造一个真正的沉浸空间，不仅是为了阅读，而且是为了体验书籍和阅读的乐趣和好处。这就是为什么这个空间包括安静的阅读室和适合书籍和学习的各种活动的区域。

The comfortable, safe, and calm feeling of the space was inspired by the relationship between reading and the cognitive development and emotional wellbeing of children. Designers wanted to provide a room that inspired a hunger for knowledge and a passion for exploration, rather than created an intimidating space that might feel like yet another institution. They chose unique colour combinations and shapes that feel playful and engaging in order to appeal to kids specifically.

阅读与儿童的认知发展和情感健康之间的关系，激发了这个空间的舒适、安全和平静的感觉。设计师们希望提供一个能够激发人们对知识的渴望和对探索的热情的房间，而不是创造一个可能让人感觉像另一个机构的令人恐惧的空间。他们选择了独特的颜色组合和形状，让人觉得好玩和吸引人，以便特别吸引孩子们。

Particular attention was paid to how designers might keep the space well lit and safe but also prevent it from feeling isolated and small. This is why the shelves are brightly illuminated and the external wall is made from a screen of wooden dowels. The rest of the House’s regular library and resource centre can be seen but the space is still a comfortable little world of its own. Kids can even write on the walls when they’re feeling creative thanks to the inclusion of erasable surfacing!

特别注意设计师如何保持空间良好的照明和安全，但也防止它感到孤立和渺小。这就是为什么货架是明亮的照明和外墙是由一个屏风木钉。众议院的其他图书馆和资源中心可以看到，但空间仍然是一个舒适的小世界本身。孩子们甚至可以写在墙上，当他们感到有创造性，因为包括可擦除的表面！

Perhaps the most beautiful part of The Children’s Library, besides the visual appeal of the space itself, is that it was completely almost entirely thanks to pro-bono work and kind financial and material donations. Something about this makes the library feel collaborative, inspiring, and very welcoming indeed.

也许是儿童图书馆最美丽的一部分，除了空间本身的视觉吸引力外，它完全是由于无偿工作和实物捐助和实物捐赠。这使得图书馆感到协作、激励和非常热情。

Photos by Alan Tansey

图片来源：Alan Tansey

CATEGORIES: Interior Design

类别：室内设计