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The Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity
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 Architect: Ann Beha Architects Goals/Challenges:
The Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity project posed an interesting design challenge: house a modern library—as an open forum for the public—inside a 70-year-old neoclassical Boston icon. “An ambitious goal,” stated Peter Sugar, architect/partner with Ann Beha Architects, a nationally recognized firm with a practice of museums, libraries and educational facilities. “We knew we needed to create a weather-tight enclosure yet achieve an openness and transparency between the street and the library’s lobby,” noted Sugar. One obstacle standing in their way was a 14 ft. tall limestone wall which closed the building off from the outside world.
Solutions/Products:
First, the architects, in a bold move, tore down large sections of the stone wall and moved the library's entrance to the main avenue. This created an open view of the library. “Finwall™ gave us the seamless visual transition we wanted,” a clear glass span 16 ft. high by 160 ft. long, “without visual interruptions,” Sugar added. To ensure the clear, minimally visible look the architects were after, Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope™ employed 1/2” clear glass fins—a technique never previously attempted. Seven rounds of structural testing by Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope™ confirmed that the fins were indeed capable of supporting a glass wall of this magnitude.
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