Reopening to the public on June 21, the landmark 1932 building, designed by Paul Cret, houses the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works.
Located on East Capitol Street, adjacent to the Library of Congress and diagonally opposite the Supreme Court, the building sits at the intersection of the federal district and the Capitol Hill residential neighborhoods.
KieranTimberlake provided master planning, programming, design, and construction administration services for the project. Over the past decade, the design team has collaborated with the Folger Shakespeare Library to transform the institution into a more inclusive, experiential, and welcoming space.
Unlike a conventional construction process where a building is erected from the ground up, this project involved adding a new structure beneath the historic site. This innovative addition serves as transitional space between the outdoors and the galleries. Spacious lobbies, a gift shop, restrooms, and seamless circulation pathways invite visitors of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
The lighting design scope encompasses all interior and exterior areas, including the café, galleries, public spaces, and newly created collaborative research areas.
At the entry lobbies, a grid of non-directional, small-aperture downlights facilitates the transition from the exterior to the gallery experience. In the centre hallway, 3000K wall washers highlight the warmth of expansive wooden surfaces while providing ambient illumination throughout circulation areas.
The east stair is illuminated by Anke Neumann’s 15-foot-tall, suspended sculpture, “Cloud of Imagination”, which visually unites the historic and contemporary spaces. This artwork is one of three commissioned pieces that reflect the Folger’s mission and complement the building’s transformation.
The historic chandelier has been retrofitted with LED candle lights, carefully chosen to complement the building’s original design while preserving its timeless elegance.
Without the use of poles or bollards, the building exteriors are softly illuminated through concealed railing light and soft façade lighting, to not interfere with the view of the Capitol Building. Exterior lighting enhances the façade and site appearance, seamlessly blending the historic structure with the contemporary entrance and sunken gardens. Carefully shielded in-grade uplights highlight the stone sculptures along the façade, while integrated handrail puck lights illuminate the ramps and stairs. A low rail lighting system along the stone plinth accentuates the planters, signage, and pathways leading to the building entrance at night. Additional under-bench lighting and recessed step lights add another layer of visual interest, enhancing the site’s ambiance after dark.
