Library Windows Transformation: A Photo Essay
Alison Lehner-Quam
The Library’s exterior has been in transformation since January 2026 as all the windows in the building are being replaced with new windows. Assistant Vice President for Campus Planning and Facilities Charlotte Diehl, AIA, observes that the new windows will include the following benefits:
- Improved thermal performance
- Improved air sealing
- Bird proof glass
- Ease of operation to comply with ADA requirements (e.g., some of the windows can open)
Leonard Lief Library is a brutalist style building with primary building materials of concrete and glass. It contains many windows around its circumference, so much labor is required on each floor during replacement process. Library Renovation team members made the decision to close the 2nd and 3rd floors (except for Bloomberg Lab on 2nd floor) during period when windows on that floor are being replaced.
The project, managed by Fides Gardiner and Gerard Igboabuchi of Dormitory Authority of New York (DASNY) is organized in the following phases:
Phase 1: Furniture and Books Removal
Phase 2: Protection and Architectural Removal
Phase 3: Abatement and Demo
Phase 4: Window Prep
Phase 5: Window Install
Last phase of the work on each floor is to return the books, architectural features, and furniture to their respective spaces and to clear the floor. This project is expected to conclude at the end of July 2026.
Alison Lehner-Quam