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. 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. Gordon bunshaft was born in new york on a saturday, may 9, 2009. Bunshafts simple design shifted the aesthetic of yales central corridor while also setting engineering precedents. Dec 04, 2016 beinecke library, yale university this remarkable jewelbox is the beinecke library for rare books on the campus of yale university.
His design of the lever house skyscraper in new york city 1952 exerted a strong influence in american architecture. 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. Established by a gift of the beinecke family and given its own endowment, the. 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. The building was originally designed by gordon bunshaft of skidmore owings and merrill in 1960 for roughly 25 staff and a modest level of acquisition of rare material. It is a new building nestled among the old, which is an apt juxtaposition given that the librarys holdings are some of the oldest texts in existence. 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. Gordon bunshaft, american architect and corecipient with oscar niemeyer of the prestigious pritzker prize in 1988. The beinecke library s robust collections are used to create new scholarship by researchers from around the world. Som yale university beinecke rare book and manuscript library.
Yales beinecke library restored 20160901 architectural. 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. There were two fullyear exhibitions that explored the librarys architecture. It sits in the heart of yale campus, new haven, connecticut, and it is. Those impressive buildings, and others, are discussed in the chapters that follow the third chapter, but with gordon bunshaft and som being as much biography as architectural history, adams also delves into. 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. Yale universitys beinecke rare book and manuscript library brbl was a 1963 gift of the beinecke family. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library sits prominently and visibly in the center of the yale university campus. 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. Its rectangular volume is enclosed in sheets of marble, thin enough at. It is as close to a perfectly conceived and executed building as i have seen, certainly one of the greatest work of american architecture. Room beinecke rare book and manuscript library at the yale university, designed by gordon bundshaft of som.
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 stands in front of the beinecke rare book library at yale university 1963. Room beinecke rare book and manuscript library at the yale. Among bunshafts other major projects are the albrightknox art gallery in buffalo, new york 1962, the beinecke rare book library at yale university 1963, incorporating a noguchi environment, the lyndon baines johnson library in austin, texas 1971, and acclaimed skyscrapers such as one chase manhattan plaza. He then travelled through europe and north africa on.
Yales beinecke rare book and manuscript library turns 50. It was time to celebrate our success and our remarkable building architect gordon bunshafts masterpiece of marble, granite, bronze and glass but after 50 years as a worldclass center of research and scholarship, the librarys infrastructure needs upgrading. The architect hirshhorn museum and sculpture garden. The long list of his notable buildings includes lever house in new york, the beinecke rare book and manuscript. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library architectuul. Bunshafts simple design shifted the aesthetic of yales central corridor while also setting engineering precedents that went far beyond the campus confines. Established in 1963, yales beinecke library celebrated its 50th anniversary on 20. Beinecke rare book library by gordon bunshaft som architect, at new haven, connecticut, 1963, architecture in the great buildings online. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library construction photographs, may 1961sept.
Newman architects and fms collaborated in the building renovation where the lighting scope centered on replacing the mostly original incandescent light fixtures with leds while preserving the. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library docomomo united. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library was an architectural incongruity amid the universitys traditional neoclassical and neogothic campus. Gordon bunshaft bio, facts, family famous birthdays. The purpose of the building is to serve as a research center for students.
Introduction beinecke library is one of those amazing nonhidden structuresif you know how to stare at it. Yales beinecke library restored 20160901 architectural record. Room beinecke rare book and manuscript library at the yale university, designed by gordon bundshaft of som stay safe and healthy. Yale university beinecke rare book and manuscript library. One of the architects he invited to participate was gordon bunshaft of skidmore. But after 50 years as a worldclass center of research and scholarship, the librarys infrastructure needs upgrading. Beinecke rare book and manuscript library docomomo.
The beinecke library contains yale universitys principal rare books and literary manuscripts and serves as a research center for students, faculty, and other. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became the goto architect of corporate america. 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.
It was time to celebrate our success and our remarkable building architect gordon bunshafts masterpiece of marble, granite, bronze and glass. Beinecke library, yale university this remarkable jewelbox is the beinecke library for rare books on the campus of yale university. It sits in the heart of yale campus, new haven, connecticut. It sits in the heart of yale campus, new haven, connecticut, and it is one. Gordon bunshaft, faia may 9, 1909 august 6, 1990, was an american architect, a leading proponent of modern design in the midtwentieth century. Yale university beinecke rare book and manuscript library som. Today the beinecke has close to 90 staff members and acquires roughly 12,000 printed items, 1,000 linear feet of archives and 1,000 individual manuscripts annually.
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. Room beinecke rare book and manuscript library at the. Jan 16, 2020 gordon bunshaft stands in front of the beinecke rare book library at yale university 1963. These are the beinecke rare book library at yale university, the hirshhorn museum in washington, dc, and the hajj terminal in saudi arabia. Arguably buffalos most famous homegrown architect gordon. Known for his glassandsteel curtain wall designs, bunshaft knew that large.
It also reflects the wonderful collaboration between engineers and architects. His addition to the albright knox art gallery in buffalo, new york 1961 featured a glassy black box floating over a stone podium, and for the beinecke rare book library at yale university 1963. Paul weidlinger and gordon bunshaft from som were the engineer and architect in charge of the design of this beautiful building. Architect gordon bunshaft stands in front of his beinecke.
Gordon bunshaft, may 9, 1909 august 6, 1990, was an american architect, a leading proponent of modern design in the midtwentieth century. One of the largest buildings in the world devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts, the library can accommodate 180,000 volumes in the central tower and more than 600,000. He then travelled through europe and north africa on two separate travelling fellowships. In texas, the lyndon baines johnson library, and at yale, the beinecke rare book and manuscript library, add to the distinction of their designer, whose career at. Architect gordon bunshaft stands in front of his beinecke rare book and manuscript library at yale university 1963 comment. He graduated from the massachusetts institute of technology with a masters in architecture. Gordon bunshaft 19091990 has been credited with opening a whole new era of skyscraper design with his first major design project in 1952, the 24story lever house in new york. Bunshaft, gordon beinecke rare book and manuscript library. The beinecke library contains yale universitys principal rare books and literary manuscripts and serves as a research center for students, faculty, and other scholars.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Beinecke rare book library gordon bunshaft som great. The building was designed by pritzker prize architect gordon bunshaft of the firm of skidmore, owings, and merrill, and is one of the largest buildings in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books and manuscripts. A modernized beinecke library opens next month architect. You cant spell som without gordon bunshaft metropolis. His design of the lever house skyscraper in new york city 1952 exerted a strong influence in american architecture educated at the massachusetts institute of technology. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library is a shining architectural specimen of the modern movement. The beinecke rare book and manuscript library has become so loved by the yale community that the. Beinecke library is one of those amazing nonhidden structuresif you know how to stare at it. 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. Log in or sign up to leave a comment log in sign up.
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