Wilmarth Sheldon “Lefty” Lewis was a pre-eminent scholar of Horace Walpole, the English man of letters. He collected books, manuscripts and prints, as well as graphic and decorative arts, in an effort to learn everything about Walpole and his time. In 1980, Lewis donated the collection,along with his 18th century Farmington, Conn., estate to Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Since then, the collection/estate was named a department of the Yale University Library and has become an internationally recognized research institute for 18th century British studies and the primary center for the study of Walpole. The library houses more than 32,000 book and manuscript collections that cover all aspects of that period in British culture, and it also is home to the largest and finest collection of 18th century British graphic art outside of the British Museum.
Yale was faced with figuring out how to preserve the historic Cowles House, one of four buildings built in the late 18th century on the estate, and the estate’s notable 20th century additions while trying to accommodate the larger space and controlled environment that the collection deserved.
Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Centerbrook, Conn., came up with a solution that took into consideration the entire 14-acre
(5.6- hectare) complex. Because the expansion had to be contiguous with the Cowles House, it was decided to remove several inappropriate mid-20th century additions and use that footprint to add a 13,000-square-foot (1,208-m2) building to the house and its 1920s library addition designed by the renowned architectural firm of Delano & Aldrich.
Lending a distinctive appearance to the prestigious building, the project utilized 9,700 square feet (901 m2) of TCS II terne-coated stainless-steel roof panels by Follansbee Steel, Follansbee, W.Va. The panels were installed as a double-lock standing-seam roof and were also used for the building’s gutters, leaders, flashing and cladding of the cupola.
“The new addition is in the tradition of connected Connecticut farm buildings and fits a large building into an historic neighborhood,” said Mark Simon, FAIA, with Susan E. Wyeth, AIA, Centerbrook Architects and Planners. “A gray terne-coated stainless roof was chosen for its traditional appearance. It is demure and defers to the surrounding historic buildings.”
According to Simon and Wyeth, the ternecoated stainless roof was chosen over copper and slate because it was less expensive than slate and more durable than copper, given acid rain. The product was also chosen because it is light and durable, as well as offers ease of construction and simplicity of installation.
The building addition created room for storage and provides a spacious work area for students and staff. It offers a clear separation from the historic house and gives a new, primary entry to the library while creating a new central pedestrian courtyard. The library has one floor of underground storage with compact stacks and a custom elevator that helped keep the roof as low as possible in deference to surrounding buildings.
The addition also brings the library into the 21st century by centralizing the collection in one building with a spacious reading room, state-of-the-art collection storage, and innovative staff and conservation work spaces. It also gives staff a modern office environment, allowing them to work efficiently and as a team with adjacent offices.
Design Award judge Tony Consentino said, “The very traditional building form is expressed with contemporary materials, a simple and elegant expression of pure function.”
“The use of a terne-coated stainless roof ties this project into its context of rural architecture but also creates a modern building,” said judge Mark Dewalt.
Lewis Walpole Library Addition, Yale University, Farmington, Conn.
Owner: Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
Architect: Mark Simon, FAIA, with Susan E. Wyeth, AIA, Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Centerbrook, Conn., www.centerbrook.com
General contractor: PAC Group LLC, Harwinton, Conn., www.pacgroupllc.com
Metal installer: R&S Construction Services, Middlebury, Conn.,
(203) 758-8500
Distributor: Petersen Aluminum Corp., Elk Grove Village, Ill., www.pac-clad.com
