The new structure is located next to the old library building, built in 1970 by the SOM bureau, and near the famous sculpture by Henry Moore "Nuclear Energy" (1967), which was created in honor of the first ever nuclear reaction (it was carried out in 1942 at the University of Chicago Nobel laureate Enrico Fermi). The architect needed to make the building transparent and modest in volume so that it would not obstruct the views of the monument and access to it. Therefore, Jan decided to hide the book depository, which takes up as much space as possible, under the ground, and covered the above-ground part, including the reading room with 180 seats, with a spectacular glass dome. The space of the hall filled with light should create in students a sense of freedom and breadth of opening opportunities. In the northern part of the dome, a restoration department with an area of 6,000 m2 was located.
The lattice structure of the dome was designed by Jan in collaboration with the famous engineer Werner Sobek. The structure is made of steel tubes with a diameter of 15.2 cm, which form a lattice with cells of 1.8 x 1.8 m. In the lower tier, the glass is completely transparent and allows you to admire the surrounding views, and all other panels are fritted up to 50% transparency and reflect up to 73 % of solar heat, which reduces the cost of cooling the premises. The supports, in addition to their direct function, also conceal heating and ventilation systems.
But the real miracle of engineering is hidden from the public eye underground. Here, on five floors, there is a modern storage facility for 3.5 million books. Each copy of the book is provided with a barcode containing all information about the publication. Visitors place orders via a computer, and an electronic "librarian" transfers information to an underground storage facility, from where robotic technology delivers a physical copy of a book to a reader within minutes or displays text from a digitized edition on a monitor screen. The ASRS system has been used for many years in the automotive industry, and finally this technology has been adapted to run libraries.
All this was made possible thanks to philanthropists Joseph and Ricky Mansueto, who donated $ 25 million to the University of Chicago for the development of the library.
E. P.
