Yales beinecke library restored 20160901 architectural record. The library opened in 1963, known for its translucent facade. Apr 14, 20 new haven in 1963, yale university opened the most modern of structures to house its most ancient of books. Gordon bunshaft, faia may 9, 1909 august 6, 1990, was an american architect, a leading proponent of modern design in the midtwentieth century. Cloistered by a protective shell of stone, the beinecke rare book and manuscript library is one of the worlds foremost collections of rare manuscripts. Introduction the beinecke rare book and manuscript library is one of the worlds largest buildings devoted to rare books and manuscripts housing about 180,000 volumes in the central tower and over 1 million that are kept in the underground book stacks.
Known for his glassandsteel curtain wall designs, bunshaft knew that large windows would be a risky. Nov 19, 2019 bunshafts career was marked by shifts in material. Glass and steel structures of the 1950s, such as new yorks chase manhattan bank, gave way to revolutionary designs in concrete, such as the beinecke rare book and manuscript library at yale university and the doughnutshaped hirshhorn museum in washington, dc. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library has become so loved by the yale community that the universitys imprint published a bookthe beinecke library of yale universityin 2003 in honor of the librarys fortieth anniversary, filled with.
It was designed by soms gordon bunshaft and is located in new. Paul weidlinger and gordon bunshaft from som were the engineer and architect in charge of the design of this beautiful building. Beinecke digital studio new haven in 1963, yale university opened the most modern of structures to house its most ancient of books. Lever house and more from gordon bunshafts som portfolio. Beinecke rare book library gordon bunshaft facade design. He also designed his own house, called the travertine house, in the hamptons in 1962, and the johnson presidential library in 1971. Beinecke rare book library by gordon bunshaft som architect, at new haven, connecticut, 1963, architecture in the great buildings online. Photograph by ezra stolleresto facade house facade architecture classic house parcs ceiling design stone libraries book decorative lighting.
One of the worlds largest libraries devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts, it is yale universitys principal repository of literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. Beinecke rare book library gordon bunshaft som great. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library docomomo. Since its opening in 1963, the marble exterior of beinecke rare book and manuscript library has kept hidden yales most obscure texts and invited the speculation of visitors and students alike. Yale university beinecke rare book and manuscript library.
Clients of ledge house ask desai chia architecture to design their new. Aug 01, 2017 cloistered by a protective shell of stone, the beinecke rare book and manuscript library is one of the worlds foremost collections of rare manuscripts. Gordon bunshaft bio, facts, family famous birthdays. The exterior of the steel is clad in granite while the interior frame is clad in precast stone and granite. His design of the lever house skyscraper in new york city 1952 exerted a strong influence in american architecture. Stephen jones, head of access services at the beinecke library, shared with the news some of the most widespread. This led to the idea of housing about 160,000 volumes on six levels within the 35 x 60foot glass shaft in the. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library architectuul. He was hired as a designer with the architectural firm of skidmore, owings, and merrill in 1937, and became a partner in the firm twelve years later.
That means the interior of the building glows by day. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library new haven modern. Plans, urban, how to plan, board, drawings, architecture, homes, sketches. The structure of the library consists of four walls, each a vierendeel welded steel taperedcross truss into which a grid of vermont montclair danby marble panes has been fitted. The beinecke library contains yale universitys principal rare books and literary manuscripts and serves as a research center for students, faculty, and other scholars. Established in 1963, yales beinecke library celebrated its 50th anniversary on 20. Perhaps his most direct swipe at mies came in the beinecke library at yale university 1963. Bunshaft made the central book stack out of bronze.
Born in buffalo, new york to a russian jewish immigrant family, bunshaft studied architecture at mit, earning his bachelors and masters degrees in 1933 and 1935, respectively. The beinecke librarys robust collections are used to create new scholarship by researchers from around the world. The structure of the library consists of four walls, each a vierendeel welded steel. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. The library is home to the bollingen prize for poetry, awarded biannually, and to. In the late 1950s, interest in rare books, the philanthropy of the beineckes, the universitys pressing need for a special collections library, and the design by the architect gordon bunshaft, created the beinecke library one of the largest buildings in the world devoted entirely to rare books and. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library, new haven, ct.
The beinecke library s robust collections are used to create new scholarship by researchers from around the world. Translucent marble facade beinecke rare book library gordon bunshaft flickr. Gordon bunshaft stands in front of the beinecke rare book library at yale university 1963. Yales beinecke library restored 20160901 architectural. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library was an architectural incongruity amid the universitys traditional neoclassical and neogothic campus. One of the largest buildings in the world devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts. Its rectangular volume is enclosed in sheets of marble, thin enough at. Courtesy manuscripts and archives, yale university library you couldnt invent a firm of more interest or appeal to organization theorists and historians of capitalism than som. The design is in the new formalist mode of modernism, using a symmetrical and repeated rhythm of geometric. The design is in the new formalist mode of modernism, using a symmetrical and repeated rhythm of. The architect thought of the library as a treasure house of rare books whose presence ought to be emphasized.
The long list of his notable buildings includes lever house in new york, the beinecke rare. Detail of the beinecke rare book and manuscript library at yale, new haven, connecticut. New haven in 1963, yale university opened the most modern of structures to house its most ancient of books. Arguably buffalos most famous homegrown architect gordon. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library home facebook.
Opened in 1963, the library is renowned for its translucent marble facade and the worldrenowned glass book tower sheltered within a dramatic arrangement resulting from the particular requirements of a repository for literary artifacts. Yales beinecke rare book and manuscript library turns 50. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library new haven. Jan 16, 2020 gordon bunshaft stands in front of the beinecke rare book library at yale university 1963. Gordon bunshaft beinecke rare book and manuscript library. Architect gordon bunshaft was responsible for some of the earliest and most famous corporate modernist buildings. When the beinecke library opened on october 14, 1963, it became the home. Yale universitys beinecke rare book and manuscript library is the largest. Som yale university beinecke rare book and manuscript library. Gordon bunshaft outside the beinecke rare book library. The program could have been satisfied by a onestory building above ground to be used for exhibitions, reading rooms, and offices, with the books stored underground, but the architect thought of the library as a treasure house of rare books whose presence ought to be emphasized.
In 2017 with the oncoming addition to the albrightknox art gallery, it is time for a look at who is arguably buffalos most famous homegrown architect gordon bunshaft. Bunshaft designed three major institutional buildings. Yales beinecke library, designed by gordon bunshaft and completed in 1963, was fully revamped by hbra architects to protect its rare book collection. When gordon bunshaft was chosen to design the presidential library for lyndon baines johnson, he considered his own home on long island travertine house. It also reflects the wonderful collaboration between engineers and architects. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library has become so loved by the yale community that the universitys imprint published a bookthe beinecke library of yale universityin 2003 in honor of the librarys fortieth anniversary, filled with essay contributions from employees past and present. Beinecke library is one of those amazing nonhidden structuresif you know how to stare at it. Bunshaft s career was marked by shifts in material. Lever house, beinecke rare book and manuscript library, hirshhorn museum and sculpture garden lever house, new york city gordon bunshaft, faia may 9, 1909 august 6, 1990, was an american architect, a leading proponent of modern design in the midtwentieth century. Cloistered by a shell of stone, the 1963 beinecke rare book and manuscript library in yale, us, is one of the worlds foremost collections of rare manuscripts. Yale universitys beinecke rare book and manuscript library is the largest building in the world dedicated to the containment and preservation of rare books, manuscripts, and documents. Educated at the massachusetts institute of technology, bunshaft. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library was an architectural incongruity amid. Silence and gordon bunshaft yale university press blog.