Irwin Library, 1963
Butler University, Indianapolis
Minoru Yamasaki, Architect

"My premise is that delight and reflection are ingredients which must be added ... sunlight and shadow, form, ornament, the element of surprise are little explored fields." Those were the words of Minoru Yamasaki, the award-winning Japanese American architect, whom we feature this week as part of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month.

Born to Japanese immigrant parents in Seattle, Yamasaki (1912-1986) became one of the towering figures of mid-century architecture. His self-proclaimed humanist designs merged the modern materials and functional considerations of postwar American architecture with traditional elements such as arches and colonnades. For the Irwin Library, Yamasaki called for quartz aggregate and plain concrete in 21 shades of white. An interior atrium opens to all three stories with cylindrical chandeliers and a skylight above, and a fountain and pool on the main level.

Yamasaki appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1963 when his firm was commissioned to design the World Trade Center (1962-1973). In a career spanning three decades, his Michigan-based firm designed over 250 buildings throughout the United States and internationally.

New World Trio: Performance of Chamber Music
Sunday, May 29, 4:00 p.m.

Please join us for a special Memorial Day weekend concert of chamber music by the New World Trio. For more than three decades, the New World Trio has brought the excitement and intimacy of chamber music to live audiences throughout New England. Founded in 1985 by violinist Anhared Stowe, New World presents wide-ranging concerts of both classical and contemporary chamber music works, performed with consummate artistry. Celebrating the richness and variety that can be gleaned from the chamber music repertoire, the program will incorporate carefully selected music from widely different sources. Part of their message is that many cultures and traditions make wonderful contributions to the human story and, underneath surface variations, there are powerful longings and deep sensibilities shared by all peoples.

New World has held residencies at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, the Hartt School, the Warner Theatre in Torrington, and St. John’s Episcopal Church.  In addition to live performances, New World was frequently featured on WNPR’s “Best of Connecticut Concert Hall Live” program.

Please register here for this free concert.

“…the three musicians of the New World combined together as one sound, potent and delectable.” - Hartford Courant

“….[New World Trio] has been an exemplar…it has been musically courageous.” Chamber Music America

Click Here To View The Norfolk Library Night Owl - May 20, 2022