East Asian Library

The design of the building required conformance with the UC Berkeley master plan. Still, the building developed its own identity by utilizing unique materials that correlate with the use of the building. Facade elements include large bronze cast Asian grilles, which provide shading and an iconic feature to the building. The stone cladding utilizes an open joint hanging system, resulting in clean sightlines and integration of adjacent materials, including flat seam copper panels, bronze clad window wall, and lead-coated copper accent panels at the parapet area. Although there is significant mass to the building, the facade materials, sightlines, and Asian patterns in the bronze grilles diminish the visual mass.