Something about the Nature of Architecture: The History of the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library

Aesthetics & Materiality

"In contrast to the darkened cave-like auditorium, the art and architecture library one floor above was a goldfish bowl. Light, space, and ceilings of different heights alternate with one another, forming bright areas for interaction and darker ones for solitary study. In its upper story, glass walls brought in light from the street and allowed views into the exhibition room at the same level. Increasingly interested in lighting for its effects on the emotions, Rudolph designed for the library a metal framework with bare, incandescent light bulbs that appeared to float independently from the wall."

-Timothy Rohan (Rudolph Scholar) 

Art & Architecture Building, Yale University (New Haven, CT): interior; Arts Library (1960s)

Rudolph Reading room, 1966