Brooklyn Public Library
A clear, welcoming signage system that made the new branch instantly legible and inviting, paired with murals drawn from the local environment to create a strong sense of civic place.
- Signage that increased visibility and daily engagement
- LIBRARY visible from across the river and nearby blocks
- Interior sight lines that make services easy to understand
- Murals rooted in local imagery that create a strong sense of place
- Halftone graphics that echo book printing and invite close interaction
- Environmental design that connects the branch to its neighborhood
- Wayfinding and signage strategy
- Exterior and interior signage system design
- Large-scale mural and environmental graphic design
- Sight-line and spatial legibility studies
- Coordination with BPL and architectural teams
- Oversight of fabrication and installation
We designed the signage and murals for the Brooklyn Public Library’s first new branch in 40 years, serving the neighborhoods of Dumbo and the more diverse community of Vinegar Hill. With a limited budget and an unusual architectural footprint, the project focused on making the building easy to understand and welcoming from every approach.
Our approach emphasized text, legibility, and long sight lines. The word LIBRARY — a simple public signal — can be seen from across the river and from the next block, anchoring the branch within the cityscape. Inside, cutouts and directional views make services visible to all visitors, guiding them from street to stacks through intuitive cues.
The murals expand this visual language. Supersized images dissolve into halftone dots as kids and adults approach them, echoing the printing processes that make books possible. Local flora, East River fish, drifting clouds, and the nearby bridge lowered to kid height create a story of the surrounding environment — one that brings the neighborhood inside the library.
As Michael Kimmelman wrote in The New York Times, “The gesture reinforces a basic message, that the Brooklyn library bridges the city’s past and present.”
Photography: Hanna Grankvist, Bruce Damonte
The signage system makes the branch instantly legible and easy to navigate, increasing visibility and everyday engagement. The murals turn environmental graphics into a form of visual storytelling that connects the building to its setting and invites close interaction, especially from children. Together, they give the branch a clear, recognizable presence, one shaped by its neighborhood and open to all.