Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is the flagship building of the New York Public Library system, located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan. Often referred to simply as the "Main Branch," its iconic Beaux-Arts structure, guarded by the famous lion statues Patience and Fortitude, has served as a cornerstone of public knowledge and research since its opening in 1911. The building was renamed in 2008 following a landmark $100 million gift from financier and philanthropist Stephen A. Schwarzman.

History

The building's creation stemmed from the 1895 consolidation of the Astor Library and the Lenox Library with a bequest from Samuel J. Tilden to form the New York Public Library. The chosen site was the former location of the Croton Distributing Reservoir, a massive Romanesque Revival reservoir that supplied water to New York City. After a design competition, the architectural firm Carrère and Hastings was selected, and construction began in 1897. Upon its dedication on May 23, 1911, presided over by President William Howard Taft, it was the largest marble structure in the United States. A major interior restoration was completed in 2016 after a project led by architects Foster + Partners and preservationists Beyer Blinder Belle.

Architecture

Designed in the Beaux-Arts style, the building is celebrated as a masterpiece of Carrère and Hastings. The exterior is constructed of Vermont marble and features a grand staircase leading to a portico with Corinthian columns, drawing inspiration from classical structures like the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève in Paris. The interior centers on the monumental Rose Main Reading Room, a 78-foot tall space spanning two city blocks, with majestic murals of sky and clouds by artist James Wall Finn. Other notable spaces include the ornate McGraw Rotunda, featuring Edward Laning murals depicting the history of the written word, and the Astor Hall, a grand marble entrance foyer.

Collections and departments

The building houses several of the library's premier research collections under the administration of the NYPL's Research Library division. It is home to the Dewey Decimal system's former Office and the renowned Berg Collection of English and American literature, containing manuscripts by Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf, and Mark Twain. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs includes millions of items, while the Manuscripts and Archives Division holds the papers of notable figures like Washington Irving and Theodore Roosevelt. The Rare Book Division safeguards treasures such as a Gutenberg Bible and Thomas Jefferson's handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence.

Services and facilities

As a non-circulating research library, it provides public access to millions of items within its reading rooms, requiring a access pass for entry. Key facilities include the Bill Blass Public Catalog Room, the Genealogy Division, and the Map Division, one of the world's largest cartographic collections. The building offers extensive public programming, including exhibitions, lectures, and tours, and houses the NYPL Shop and the Celeste Bartos Forum for public events. It also contains administrative offices for the overall New York Public Library system and the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

In popular culture

The building's majestic interiors have made it a frequent filming location, notably serving as a backdrop in movies like *Ghostbusters*, The Day After Tomorrow, and *Sex and the City*. It was famously depicted as being overtaken by a tidal wave in the film The Day After Tomorrow. The iconic lion statues have appeared in countless television shows, advertisements, and literary references, solidifying their status as symbols of New York City. The building itself has been featured in episodes of Doctor Who and served as inspiration for the library in the animated film The Pagemaster.

Category:New York Public Library Category:Beaux-Arts architecture in New York City Category:National Historic Landmarks in Manhattan Category:Libraries in Manhattan Category:Carrère and Hastings buildings