Brooklyn Public Library, Ryder Branch

The Ryder Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library underwent renovations that included a new roof, new heating and cooling systems, updated interiors, and new dedicated spaces for children and teens. The space also received updated lighting, flooding the space in clear but diffuse illumination that makes the space both functional and relaxing.

Nanometer created a custom hybrid of two of their most popular products: the NanoTex and NanoFloat, pushing the boundaries of how Nanometer’s products can be integrated and reimagined for bespoke designs that reflect both the needs and aesthetics of any space. The design called for a uniquely challenging shape and construction, something the Nanometer team had never attempted before. With diligence and innovation, Nanometer’s designers and engineers created a fixture that might look simple from the outside, but showcases the adaptability and forward thinking Nanometer strives for.

First, a structure had to be built to facilitate the three-dimensional design while leaving room for the center fixture.

A 6-foot diameter frame was constructed with a 12-inch-diameter central space, where a slim-profile NanoFloat Round would be magnet-mounted. LED strips equipped with optics for greater spread of illumination were attached to a custom, conical, laser-cut aluminum grid that lay atop the structural fins. The difference in depth, from 11 3/4 inches to less than an inch at the NanoFloat Round’s slim profile edge, creates a shallow conical shape, almost like a modern, abstracted take on the traditional reading lamp.

As quiet is necessary in any library, these light fixtures also double as sound dampeners, an extra feature available in all NanoTex installations. The fixtures were required to have at least 2 inches of acoustical material inside, and so the decision was made to simply construct the entire fixture out of acoustical material, allowing it to absorb sound while remaining lighter and roomier. Then NanoTex Quantum Acoustic fabric was installed on top, surrounding the NanoFloat centerpiece, where it both diffuses the light and allows sound to be absorbed into the acoustical material inside. A unique aspect was installing the fabric into a setting that reduces in volume, but the cold-stretch textile allowed for easy on-site installation.

The unexpected conical shape of the fixtures Is just another example of the ability of the NanoTex to inhabit three dimensions. They turn a plane of light into a full form, creating a textural interest along the library’s ceilings, while providing functional illumination for library patrons. NanoTex’s cold-stretch fabric allows for greater versatility as well as greater ease of installation and maintenance, even on more complex fixtures like this one.