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
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
Additional Projects
Northeast
Middlebury College, Fine Arts Center Museum
The building suffered from leakage at the roofs and condensation in the art gallery and at skylights that caused deterioration of components within the exterior walls and dripped into the building. SGH investigated the causes of the building enclosure issues and designed repairs.
Northeast
Yale University, Sterling Memorial Library
Designed by James Gamble Rogers and constructed in 1930, the Sterling Memorial Library is Yale’s central research library and home to a priceless collection of books, historic documents, sound recordings, coins, photographs, and other artifacts.