Folger Shakespeare Library Renovation

The Folger Shakespeare Library was designed by Paul Cret in 1929 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It houses a full scale Elizabethan theater and the largest Shakespeare collection in the world. Despite its wonders, however, the building has struggled to keep up with the Folger's evolving needs as a research institution with a growing agenda.

KieranTimberlake worked closely with the Folger to address space shortage, circulation issues, accessibility, wayfinding, and integration for planned programs. The team designed two additions as part of a multi-phased master plan to transform the site's capabilities with respect for its historic elements. Additional post-master plan concept work included phasing and cost optioning, preparation of fundraising packages, and staff placement analysis to enable the Folger to move forward with a building project.

My Role

I joined the project at the end of the master plan phase and carried it into early concept design. Our team worked closely with the Folger to address pressing space needs and study options for Phase 1 construction. My contributions include:

• Staffing analysis to track employee space allocations and overcrowding

• Development and representation of complex Phase 1 options, including schemes for temporary and permanent program relocations required before and after construction

• Meticulous tracking of area, cost, and qualitative metrics for four selected Phase 1 options

• Creation of high quality concept renderings for client fundraising

Following my work on the Folger, the project was paused and later picked up by a different team at KieranTimberlake for design and documentation. It is now under construction.