2. The New York Public Library’s Book Vault

The New York Public Library sits within Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, and is United States’ second largest public library by volume held, only behind the Library of Congress.

In order to accommodate its ever-growing collection as well as to restore the 1911 Beaux Arts landmark, library officials has planned to commission British architect Norman Foster to transform the beloved library flagship on Fifth Avenue early in 2008. The plan was to consolidate the Mid-Manhattan Library and the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL) in a new lending library contained within the 42nd Street building. The plan caused much resistance, since it meant that the enormous book stacks would have been moved offsite, making access to many of the library books less convenient. After much controversy, the New York Public Library finally abandoned its renovation plan in 2014.