Now At the Lever House: The Magical World of Paula Hayes

The best part about going to the doctor is that my doctor's office is right across the street from the Lever House.  I always stop in when I'm in the neighborhood, not only because it is one of my most favorite modern, international style buildings, designed by one of my favorite architects of that time period, Gordon Bunshaft of S.O.M., but also because the lobby is an art gallery, and there is always something interesting on view there.  This time, the work of Paula Hayes is on display, and she has transformed the lobby into a peaceful oasis in the middle of crazy midtown.  Not only is there a giant blob shaped fish bowl and many lush plants, but the sound of water fills the lobby as you explore this strange new world.  

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale

On our class trip to New Haven last week, we stopped by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.  Its a building I have known for a while and studied in school, but this was my first time seeing it in person.  Seeing a building like this is a reminder to me of how important it is to actually go and visit these buildings we spend so much time talking about.  Looking at photos of a building versus walking around it, in it, getting a sense of the scale, smell, sound and temperature...there's no comparison.  I'm always interested in the fact that some buildings look OK in photos but amazing in person, and then there are some buildings that are really photogenic, but in person aren't that interesting.  (Other examples here and here.)  I was completely taken by surprise upon visiting the Beinecke Library.  Its simply beautiful.  The photos will never capture its full magical properties.   

It was designed by Gordon Bunshaft of SOM, and was a gift of the Beinecke family to Yale in 1963.  The large slices of marble you see in the photo above are actually so thin that they allow a small amount of light to pass through them, providing some natural illumination to the library and still protecting the ancient books inside.

See the light coming through the marble?

SOM - CBD Design Winner

Here's a video of a competition SOM recently won.