BEINECKE RARE BOOK LIBRARY

The Beinecke Rare Book Library alone contains some 500,000 books, including a copy of the Gutenberg Bible of 1452. To protect the extremely rare books and manuscripts it contains, the rectangular building built in 1964 has no windows and is made of thin translucent marble slabs that let in a subdued light without damaging the books. When seen from afar, this strange building gives the impression of floating above the ground!