New Haven, CT

Yale University, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Scope/Solutions

Beinecke Library, designed by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and built in 1963, is a significant work of twentieth-century architecture. It serves as a principal repository for early manuscripts and rare books, including a Gutenberg Bible. SGH has undertaken over ten projects at the library, which included rehabilitating the enclosure and structure systems and developing two master plans.

Highlights of SGH’s work at Beinecke Library include the following:

Moisture Migration Analysis

  • Recommending interior environmental operating conditions to reduce condensation on the first-floor window wall, marble panels at upper stories, and interior precast concrete surrounds

Bronze Curtain Wall Rehabilitation Design

  • Designing repairs to address leakage and failed glazing units in the bronze curtain wall at the sunken marble court, including disassembling, cleaning, and reinstalling the curtain wall with new glazing and concealed flashings, and developing a similar program for the plaza-level curtain wall
  • Analyzing causes of bowing, cracking, and surface erosion in marble panels
  • Testing methods and materials for short- and long-term repair of cracks in the marble panels in our laboratory
  • Developing crack repair and cleaning procedures for the marble and granite

Beinecke Plaza and Hewitt Quadrangle Assessment and Rehabilitation Design

  • Designing a new paving and plaza waterproofing system to maintain the appearance, while improving performance
  • Completing a condition assessment, structural analysis, and rehabilitation design for the historic flagpole designed by Carrere and Hastings
  • Designing a new foundation that permits removal of the Alexander Calder mobile sculpture for cleaning and restoration
  • Designing the structure and developing details for a large, curved, granite bench designed by Laurie Olin

Noguchi Sculpture Garden Assessment and Rehabilitation Design

  • Designing a new plaza waterproofing system for the Noguchi Sculpture Garden constructed over a collection of priceless archives and manuscripts

Roofing Assessment and Rehabilitation Design

  • Designing a new PVC roofing system at the portion of the building above the plaza and providing onsite monitoring during the roofing replacement

Project Summary

completion-date

2020

Completion Date
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation | Preservation
Services
Building Enclosures | Applied Science & Research
Markets
Education
Client(s)
Yale University
Specialized Capabilities
Building Science | Commissioning | Preservation | Facades & Glazing | Roofing & Waterproofing | Materials Science

Key team members

Matthew Bronski
Matthew Bronski
Senior Principal
Stephen Ruggiero
Stephen Ruggiero
Consulting Principal