黑洞社区

New York Public Library bosses have caved in to a barrage of criticism and abandoned Foster & Partners鈥� $300m (拢178m) renovation programme for the landmark building.

The practice has already banked $9m (拢5m) for its work on the controversial scheme.

Now its proposals have been ditched and the Beaux Arts institution at Fifth Avenue and 42^nd Street will instead undergo the 鈥渕ost comprehensive renovation鈥� in its history, doubling its exhibition space and opening a new education area.

It was not clear whether Fosters will be involved in this but the quotes library officials as saying a portion of the firm鈥檚 design work would be used for opening new public spaces in the main library.

Norman Foster was quoted as saying: 鈥淥bviously, I respect the decision of the trustees and whoever鈥檚 been involved in the decision.

鈥淚f I have any kind of sadness on the thing 鈥� besides obviously not having the project going ahead and having spent a huge amount of passion on the project with colleagues 鈥� it is that the proposals have never been revealed, and there hasn鈥檛 really been a debate by those involved, including those who would have benefited from an inclusive approach to the library.鈥�

The Fosters scheme would have replaced historic but unfit-for-purpose book stacks with a lending library overlooking Bryant Park. This would have allowed a nearby branch library to be shut to save money.

But the ailing mid-Manhattan Library will now be refurbished and remain open.

The designs were dismissed as having 鈥渁ll the elegance and distinction of a suburban mall鈥� by Michael Kimmelman, the New York Times architecture critic.

He was backed by 20 US architects, writers and historians. But Foster hit back, branding Kimmelman鈥檚 comments 鈥渙ffensive and premature鈥�.

The library鈥檚 president, Anthony Marx, said of the decision to abandon the plan: 鈥淲hen the facts change, the only right thing to do as a public-serving institution is to take a look with fresh eyes and see if there is a way to improve the plans and to stay on budget.鈥�

The move followed a meeting between Marx and the new mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, who had been critical of Fosters鈥� proposal during his election campaign.

Foster & Partners declined to comment further.