All that glitters is not gold, but this renovated library is pretty dang shiny.
William Shakespeare might not be the first person you colligate with Washington , DC , but he for certain is the city ’s serviceman of the second . On June 21,Folger Shakespeare Librarywill open its doors after a multi - year closure for a top - to - bottom , $ 80.5 million renovation . The landmark cultural initiation , which first opened in 1932 , is home to the largest assemblage of Shakespeare ’s printed works in the world , as well as other uncommon fabric and literary artifacts .
The Folger ’s snug neighbors in the Capitol Hill neighborhood — the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building — might not be its likeliest layer fellows , yet these institutions all compensate close aid to the importance of language and how it ’s both used and see . With its renovation , the Folger seeks to swan itself in - conversation with , rather than opposition to , these seats of government power . “ We ask history , poesy , house , and the humanities to be part of an rarefied democracy , ” says Michael Witmore , the director of the Folger .
Prior to its pre - pandemic closedown , the depository library blended into the metropolis ’s towering Greco - revival buildings . The restoration , which was undertaken by the Philadelphia - based architectural house of KieranTimberlake , manages to maintain the historic construction ’s original façade while creating a more welcoming and accessible visitor experience . Chief among this project is the introduction of two new exhibition halls , create by digging underthe original structure ; a facelift for the Folger ’s research center and reading elbow room , which is now , appealingly , open to the world and not just researchers ; much demand upgrades to its iconic theatre ; and a marque - new café opening night this summertime in the Folger ’s principal hall , model in the style of an Elizabethan great theatre .
Folger Shakespeare Library reopens in Washington DC|Photo by Alan Karchmer
The refresh provide a new opportunity to get up closemouthed and personal with the earthly concern ’s expectant Shakespeare accumulation , and to apprize books , mark , objects , and manuscripts related to the playwright and his world and his plays , in a Modern visible radiation . The new exhibition halls are design to be experienced non - linearly , so visitant can jump in and out at any point . Highlights of the new displays let in all 82 of the Folger ’s original Shakespeare folio ( the first publish collections of his play ) , playbills and broadsides from historical production .
There will also be non - Shakespearean employment on display , let in a first 100 BCE EgyptianBook of the Dead , page proofs ofThe Lord of The Ringswith hand - write correction by J.R.R. Tolkien , and an advanced jam copy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s watershed “ I Have A Dream ” speech . work force - on activities like treasure hunts for kid , do - it - yourself impress presses , and weekly family programs are also Modern addition .
Additionally , the re - opening will also reveal the subroutine library ’s new gardens , which are put down out as a serial of welcome outdoor rooms that act as an entrance hall . The gardens are fill up with plant and flowers Shakespeare makes credit to in his period of play , including daffodils fromThe Winter ’s Tale , rosemary fromHamlet , boxwood fromA Midsummer Night ’s Dream , and crocus fromTheTempest , with a fistful of hearty DC - weather tolerant perennials give in . Designed by landscape designers OLIN , the outdoor distance also let in a poem by the poet Rita Dove engrave into a marble wall that enclose around the garden , as well as a C - erstwhile magnolia tree diagram that was original to the Folger ( planted for the museum ’s original 1932 opening night ) and successfully moved to a new situation in the garden .
Although the magnanimous reveal is Friday , June 21 , there ’s plenty to keep visitor come back . The Folger ’s theater season will reopen this fall with a production ofRomeo and Juliet , a new commission , A Room in the Castle , by contemporary playwright Lauren Gunderson , which delves into the lives of the charwoman in Shakespeare’sHamlet , andTwelfth Night . A poesy series , classes , and new rotating exhibits will also be on offer .
As Karen Ann Daniels , Folger ’s Artistic Director , aptly designate out , this new phase of the library present honest-to-god textile like you ’ve never seen before . “ This is n’t your English class Shakespeare , ” she says .
The Folger Shakespeare Library opens to the public on Friday , June 21.Admission is free . A $ 15 contribution is suggest . The Museum will be open Tuesday – Sunday .
Visitor at the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall within the Folger Shakespeare Library|Photo by Lloyd Wolf
Interior of Folger Shakespeare Library|Photo by Alan Karchmer
