The mid-1990s retrofit replaced much of the textiled elements with more contemporary furnishings and materials. The original interior appointments were lush and dark: bronze, black leather upholstery, wood paneling, teak tables and desks, carpeted and granite floors. Many have described the Beinecke as a “jewel box,” which is not surprising given the warm glow the illuminated marble exudes after the sun has set. It is a stark contrast to the older surrounding buildings that are more evocative of collegiate scholarship. The above-ground structure sits in the heart of the Yale campus and can best be described as a giant marble cube. The roof of the subterranean area serves as the plaza, which is a central social landmark on the Yale campus. The library’s total square footage is 88,347. The smaller component is a below-ground research center that contains stacks, office space, classrooms, a study area, and a garden courtyard designed by Isamu Noguchi. The largest and most visible component is the six-story above-ground structure (86'-0” x 130'-0” x 58'-0”), which is a fully open space containing an interior glass-curtain-wall enclosed temperature-controlled tower (35'-0” x 60'-0”) to house books. Current Useīunshaft designed the Beinecke as a two-component structure on a 200’-0” x 350’-0” site plan. The retrofit was completed in 2005 and its implementation resulted in a new winter visual: low-hovering fog, the result of snow melting before it hits the plaza. The architect for the project was Rich Charney. New Haven's Buckingham Routh Company handled the mechanical systems and the Pike Company of Kensington, CT, was the general contractor. Project used 22 miles of 1-inch glycol/water tubing to aid in winter snowmelt water control. Plaza Retrofit (May 2004-2005): In May 2005 work began on a major plaza-level waterproofing retrofit. Included in the scope of the project were reconstruction and refurnishing of all office spaces and service areas, conversion of 50,000 square feet of fixed stacks to compact shelving, new multi-purpose classrooms and electronic media facilities, and rewiring for computer networks, security, and fire protection systems. The general contractor was Leach Building (later the Pike Company). 2000): Gregg Wies & Gardner Architects designed a renovation plan for Beinecke to implement state-of-the-art technologies. Plumbing Renovation (1999): the toilet facilities were completely renovated in 1999. Elevator Replacement and Installation (1996 & 1998): The 1963 elevator and casing were replaced in 1996 and a new elevator installed in the West wing in 1998. In 2004 the plaza-level window wall was also treated and laminated safety glass was installed. Exterior Glass Window Maintenance (1992 & 2004): The entire marble courtyard glass window wall was removed, reflashed, cleaned, reglazed, and placed back into the courtyard. This project enabled the replacement of the interior mezzanine ceiling lighting fixtures and ceiling tiles. The 1982 roof was completely replaced in fall 2008. Roof Replacement and Maintenance (1982, 1994, 2008): The original roof was completely replaced in 1982. Its holdings include maps and letters from the Lewis and Clark exhibition documents from Boccacio, Wordsworth, Joseph Conrad, and Gertrude Stein and a 15th-century Gutenberg Bible, one of only 48 known copies still in existence. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was dedicated on October 11, 1963. The Beinecke family has never revealed the cost. The building’s dimensions are mathematically proportioned: it is twice the width of its height and three times as long. Daylight is broadcast in through a grid of Vermont Montclair Danby marble panes that glow at night from interior illumination. Bunshaft designed a two-component, 88,347-square-foot building: A six-story above-ground structure, a fully open space with an interior enclosed-glass temperature-controlled tower to house 160,000 books and a below-ground area containing stacks, office space, classrooms, a study area, and a garden courtyard designed by Isamu Noguchi. In October 1959, after much discussion over the choice of architect, Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill was chosen. exist as a state-of-the-art research facility for scholars and to be physically striking, as if to visually convey the importance of its holdings. The new building would need to provide protection for the rare books, many of which where in very fragile condition. The Beinecke Family financed the project as a gift to the university. Babb and brothers (and Yale Alumni) Edwin and Frederick Beinecke began discussions about construction of a new space to house Yale's growing collection of rare books, which were then located in Sterling Memorial Library. In March 1959, Yale library head James T.
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