Looking up at the marble and granite box
This past week I had the privilege of touring Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, a marble and granite gem situated at the heart of the campus.
This library boasts more than just elements of Platonic purity and stunning simplicity; a process exceeding two years led Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architect Gordon Bunshaft on a worldwide journey that ultimately culminated in the building we get to appreciate today.
Inspired by a Renaissance-type palace in Istanbul, the original hope was to have the structure sheathed entirely in onyx with the big panels made of translucent onyx. But what Bunshaft thought to be onyx in the palace turned out to be alabaster. With uncertainties over the weather wear that alabaster could endure, Bunshaft set out to find onyx. His two year journey ended fruitlessly; quarries in Belgium and France both said the project was impossible.
To cut a long story short, Bunshaft eventually settled (if not begrudgingly) on Vermont granite for the X's and translucent Danby marble for the panes. Though appearing possibly cold and severe on the outside, the marble emits a warm, golden-brown light on the inside (so as to prohibit direct sunlight from damaging the valuable texts and manuscripts).
After admiring the library from afar for many years, it was a pleasure to be able to enjoy it in person. And having to endure some poor library design on my own campus, I was refreshed to see something both beautiful and functional.
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