HWKN Architecture, a New York firm, previously completed an expansion at CCS Bard in 2015. The forthcoming Keith Haring Wing will augment this extension, nearly doubling the amount of space available for students and faculty. “Paying homage to the existing CCS Bard Library and Archives, we designed the new Keith Haring Wing to weave into the past while looking ahead to the future of the campus,” said Matthias Hollwich, HWKN Architecture founding principal.
The design by HWKN Architecture will yield six new office spaces to support visiting faculty and researchers. It features a greatly expanded reading room tucked up against open research stacks with capacity for over 30,000 additional volumes. There will also be a 30-person classroom and smaller collaborative study room for CCS Bard to host courses, workshops, and study groups. This will particularly benefit the undergraduate Art History and Visual Culture program at Bard, along with other college departments.
Renderings by HWKN Architecture show a utilitarian, one-story masonry structure finished with minimalist, light-filled interiors. Barrel vaults are perched above the main reading and studying areas, allowing day light into the spaces far from windows.
