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The New York Public Library’s historic main branch will boast twice as much public space, stunning views of Bryant Park — and the chance to finally borrow books, new designs reveal.
Architectural renderings show the big-budget library makeover will scrap shelves of old periodicals to create sleek, modern study spaces and better lighting.
The $300 million renovation — which begins in 2013 at the iconic building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street — will include a ground-level “teen center,” big sunny windows, and the first book-lending program in decades, said library spokeswoman Angela Montefinise.
Roughly 70 percent of the building — or more than four football fields — will be open to the public under the plan.
“[We’re] creating the single most exciting library in the world,” said Tony Marx, president of New York Public Library.
The plan calls for selling two well-known properties — the Mid-Manhattan library branch and the Science, Industry and Business Library space — to collect cash for the project.
It also requires moving 300 million deteriorating research volumes — some of which are sensitive to light — to a storage facility under Bryant Park. Roughly 1.4 million research volumes will now be available digitally.
Workers will also transport thousands of books from the nearby Mid-Manhattan branch to the sprawling, four-story main branch.
The remodeled library will also feature a new permanent exhibition with historical artifacts such as the Declaration of Independence and the original copy of “Winnie the Pooh.”
Architecture firm Foster + Partners — which previously designed the boundary-pushing, modern Millennium Bridge in London — will make only minor tweaks to the exterior of the pillared building, library representatives said.
All exterior changes — which will likely include new windows and a larger “loading” driveway — must first be approved by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.
The city is funding the revamp, using $150 million in capital funds, plus millions of dollars from donations and the real-estate sales.
The four-story library branch opened in 1911 and was declared a national landmark in 1965.
Montefinise, the spokeswoman, said it’s unclear how many books the facility will carry after its projected completion in 2018.