If you approach the exterior of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library during the day, the windowless library will appear opaque, perhaps even uninviting. But if you approach it at night, you’ll see a soft glow exuding from the entire building, drawing you closer to discover the treasures within.
Architect Gordon Bunshaft referred to the Beinecke Library at Yale University as a “treasure casket” for rare books. Let’s learn more about its history and design.
The History of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University originally kept its rare books at what was then the College Library, currently Dwight Hall. The Sterling Memorial Library was constructed with a bequest from John W. Sterling in 1918. It opened in 1930, and included a Rare Book Room. Over time, the book collection grew, reaching over 130,000 items by 1958.
When the collection surpassed the Reading Room’s capacity, alumni Edwin J. Beinecke, Frederick W. Beinecke, and Walter Beinecke funded the construction of a new library just for the rare books. Yale University commissioned architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for its design, and it opened in 1963 as the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
The Design of the Beinecke Library
At a glance, the Beinecke Library might appear Brutalist. But it is better understood as an International Style building that is unusually devoid of windows, and which has some decorative elements that may be in line with New Formalism.
Bunshaft was inspired by a Turkish bath at the Dolmabahçe Palace, which featured alabaster he mistook at first as onyx. To capture a similar idea, he designed the façade of the library with 1.25-inch thick slabs of veined marble from Danby, VT. These thin sheets of marble are translucent, transmitting daylight into the interior as a soft, warm glow. At night, standing outside the library, you can see a similar soft glow exuding from the interior through the walls. The result is an atmosphere that feels luminous, peaceful, and focused.
The coffered design of the walls lends the modernist building some Neoclassical vibes, helping it fit seamlessly with the surrounding Neoclassical Hewitt Quadrangle. A glass tower inside the library contains book stacks for 180,000 rare volumes. An underground level has space for a million more.
Visiting the Beinecke Library
If you are in the area, you can visit the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The ground floor and mezzanine are open to the public 7 days a week. You do not need to make a reservation. Metered street parking and off-street parking facilities are located nearby.
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