The construction of the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, designed by SOM principal Gordon Bunshaft and completed in 1963, marked a radical shift in architectural aesthetic of the Yale University campus, which was as a whole was styled according to a common collegiate Gothic formula. Known for his glass-and-steel curtain wall designs, Bunshaft knew that large windows would be a risky inclusion and necessitate careful design planning to protect a remarkably fragile collection. The decision to grid the façade in large 1-1/4”-thick Vermont marble panes was borne out of the need for muted light that would not put the building’s contents at risk. The library is a visually bold and entirely unique building that is well used, well known, and well cared for -- all hallmarks of successful architecture.