From the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles to the Guggenheim Museum in
Barcelona, Frank Gehry's architectural works forever change the
landscape of whatever space is lucky enough to host one. This fall,
students at Princeton University joined this fortunate club, when the
Lewis Library opened on campus. Created to house the university's
astrophysics, biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, physics and
statistics collections, the building took four years and $60 million to
construct. 88,000 pounds of embossed stainless steel and 620 tons of
clay brick were combined with glass, steel and stucco, to create an
exterior that reflects the design of nearby buildings on campus, but
with an unmistakably Gehry twist.
In true Gehry fashion, the
building's eye-catching exterior barely hints and the wonders to be
found within its walls. The light-filled main level features an
atrium, the main library two modern bowl classrooms. Gehry designed the
entry's large, curved reception desk, along with shelves and furniture
found throughout the building. Study areas and rooms feature colorful
chairs, including some classic, comfortable Egg Chairs designed by Arne Jacobsen. A star is cut into the ceiling separating
the first and second floors, and on the second story, lights hang from
a ceiling almost 34 feet above. It's enough to make any dedicated
would-be scientist become an architecture major!
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