Funded by patron of the arts, Mary Louise Curtis Bok, the amphitheater and library today remain much as they were when completed by Fletcher Steele in 1931. In 1996 a major addition to the library was made, the majority of it being underground. Outwardly, the addition has had essentially no visual impact on the landscaping as it was originally designed.
The underground expansion betrays its presence only by the rubblestone entrance and the round free-standing glazed pavilion (near the centre of the photo below) on the lawn which serves as a skylight. We found that an underground building can be difficult to photograph as it's, well, underground.
In 1996, an underground addition was constructed beneath the south lawn of the library building. When the original retaining wall and lawn were reestablished, a street-level entrance and the outdoor Children’s Reading Plaza were added along Atlantic Avenue, and a free-standing glazed pavilion intended to serve as a skylight was placed upon the south lawn. Otherwise, there have been no significant changes to the property.
From the National Historic Landmarks Program