Barco de Papel Libreria Y Centro Cultural is the only Spanish language literature bookstore currently surviving in New York City and a small but critical cultural center for researchers and lovers of Latin American culture. Located in Elmhurst, Queens, in the most culturally diverse zip code of the USA, for nearly 20 years, the humble bookstore served as a vibrant and resilient meeting place for artists, poets, and writers, as well as many immigrant and diaspora residents in the neighborhood. The renovation enhances the spaces for this important institution, improving access for the public, spaces for community activities, street front presence with alternations to the facade, interior, and the addition of new mobile elements. The operable facade windows fold out and open up Barco, transforming the intimate space into an outdoor public area for events and other expanded operations of the bookstore and cultural center. New operable furniture includes a mobile horizontal bookcase/table that allows for a permeable facade and longer-term engagement with the book material and facilitates conversations and workshops. The project also utilizes various street-related initiatives implemented through the pandemic.
