The rare book and manuscript library at Yale University demonstrates the capa- city of inset nesting to modulate light and climate through a multilayered con- struction. The outer box is composed of four steel Vierendeel truss walls, clad in faceted stone and precast concrete.

The grid formed by the trusses is inset with 1-1/4-in-thick (3.2 cm) translucent marble panels that filter out ultraviolet rays while providing indirect illumination. The stone container is juxtaposed with an inner box composed of a steel structure and glass panels that provide precise thermal and climatic control.

This glass box allows the tower of fragile books to be placed on full view, yet within a highly controlled environment. An exhibition mezzanine wraps around the nested volume. The walls transfer structural load to four points at the corners, where pillars elevate the stone enclosure off the ground, making the outer frame seem to float monumentally above the stone plaza in the heart of the campus.



A sunken courtyard provides daylight to underground offices and library facilities. While the nested section produces the spectacle of this library, excavated space below contains the primary support facilities for the display above, including seminar rooms, offices, curatorial spaces, and the vast majority of the books.

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