Architecture
The main Folger building was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret. The white marble exterior includes nine street-level bas-reliefs of scenes from Shakespeare's plays created by the sculptor John Gregory, a statue of Puck by Brenda Putnam as well as many inscriptions personally selected by Henry Folger. The large Art Deco window and door grilles are aluminum.
Inside, the building is designed in a Tudor style with oak paneling and plaster ceilings. The two reading rooms (one added in the early 1980s) are reserved for use by scholars who have obtained advance permission. Public spaces include the large exhibition gallery, a gift shop, and the Elizabethan theatre.
A second Folger building, the Haskell Center, opened in 2000 across the street from the original building. It houses the library's education and public programs staffs.
The Folger grounds include an Elizabethan garden of plantings from Shakespeare's plays or that were commonly used in his day.
Read more about this topic: Folger Shakespeare Library
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