A look at the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library
July 22, 2010
Five stories underground, the library of the future is taking shape.
When the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library opens in spring of 2011, it will be both an invaluable resource for scholars and an iconic building at the heart of campus. The glass dome will house a reading room, a cutting–edge preservation facility and up to 3.5 million volumes.
Photographer Dan Dry captured the Mansueto as few will see it—once the automated storage and retrieval system is in place, the cavernous underground area will be obscured by rows of 50–foot racks densely packed with bins of books.
Outside, the bridge that will connect the Regenstein and Mansueto libraries is in progress, and installation of the steel that will support the dome is complete. The construction team celebrated the milestone by planting an American flag at the dome’s peak.
For more information about the Mansueto Library, please visit http://mansueto.lib.uchicago.edu.
—Susie Allen
