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Collection by David Rudin

This Glowing Library Addition is Every Writer's Dream Escape

A garage is replaced with a three-story space for reading, writing, and contemplation.

On a suburban street in Syracuse, New York, PARA Project designed a three-story garage and studio space for a family of writers. The studio, which adjoins a traditional home, features a library and writing space on its second level, which, at the owners’ request, comes complete with a sunken bathtub. Its uppermost level serves as a peaceful reading room. A vision in white, PARA's design creates distinct spaces, each with their own characters and relationships to the outdoors. The reading room’s concrete floor shields it like a cocoon, whereas the library allows occupants to relax in the bathtub and take in views. Within its limited confines, the studio provides a room for every mood and need.

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The façade is wrapped in 3-millimeter-thick silicon impregnated fiberglass fabric. This produces its unique, translucent glow while also ensuring that light is transmitted to the interior and the owners' privacy is protected.
The façade is wrapped in 3-millimeter-thick silicon impregnated fiberglass fabric. This produces its unique, translucent glow while also ensuring that light is transmitted to the interior and the owners' privacy is protected.
The studio’s second floor serves as a library. The sunken bathtub offers interrupted sightlines across the space and out into the backyard. The tub, like the library’s floor, is made of concrete.
The studio’s second floor serves as a library. The sunken bathtub offers interrupted sightlines across the space and out into the backyard. The tub, like the library’s floor, is made of concrete.
A constellation of slit windows perforates the studio’s side, giving its exterior a unique character and bringing light into its three levels. In the second-floor library, the window openings are integrated into the structure of the bookshelves.
A constellation of slit windows perforates the studio’s side, giving its exterior a unique character and bringing light into its three levels. In the second-floor library, the window openings are integrated into the structure of the bookshelves.
The floor of the studio’s upper level curves upwards, enveloping occupants in a calming reading room. The ceiling of the reading room was gilded in gold-leaf to provide warm reflections and augment the sense of space. Natural light shines in from skylights along the studio’s front and rear edges.
The floor of the studio’s upper level curves upwards, enveloping occupants in a calming reading room. The ceiling of the reading room was gilded in gold-leaf to provide warm reflections and augment the sense of space. Natural light shines in from skylights along the studio’s front and rear edges.
The concave floor of the reading room also defines the shape of the library. Shielding the reading room from the street, it also opens the library up to the full-height window that occupies its rear façade. The library’s bookshelves were all custom built to accommodate voids for the studio’s windows and mirrors.
The concave floor of the reading room also defines the shape of the library. Shielding the reading room from the street, it also opens the library up to the full-height window that occupies its rear façade. The library’s bookshelves were all custom built to accommodate voids for the studio’s windows and mirrors.