UC Berkeley C.V. Starr East Asian Library

A New Home for East Asian Studies

client

UC Berkeley
location

Berkeley, CA
size

68,000 SF

The C.V. Starr East Asian Library at UC Berkeley is a ground-up, four-story space for a renowned collection of 900,000 Chinese, Japanese, and Korean volumes. Granite, glass, and bronze anchor the structure on campus, while skylit stairwells and light-filled reading rooms organize study, circulation, collections, and research life.

A Clear Response to a Complex Site

Exterior walkway along the East Asian studies library, with granite cladding, patterned bronze screens, landscaped edges, and built-in stone seating along the sloped campus site.

A granite-clad campus library with patterned bronze screens sits at the edge of a large lawn under a clear blue sky.

Exterior view of a modern library set into a landscaped hillside, with large windows reflecting mature trees and warm interior light visible at the lower level.

Exterior view of a granite-clad East Asian studies library set into a sloped campus site, with patterned bronze screens, small punched windows, concrete retaining walls, stone landscaping, and a clear blue sky overhead.

The project addresses a challenging site condition between Memorial Glade and the North Gate with a quiet yet commanding architectural form. A singular, four-story mass anchors the northern edge of the campus core.

Exterior view of the Chang-Lin Tien Center for East Asian Studies, showing patterned bronze screens, a glass entry canopy, and a raised terrace connected to stairs and walkways along the sloped campus site.

Cultural Expression Within Classical Form

Situated within UC Berkeley’s historic campus core, the new East Asian Library responds to strict design guidelines while introducing a distinctly modern presence. A granite-clad exterior aligns with the university’s neo-classical fabric, while clear glass and a patterned bronze screen—cast in China—layer cultural meaning, texture, and light control onto the façade. The metalwork provides a layer of subtle detail in contrast to the thick granite slabs, while deflecting daylight from sensitive volumes.

Breakfast with Billie Tsien Read the story

Corridors of Light

The building’s personality reveals itself inside, where a multilevel atrium and carefully placed apertures animate the space, drawing daylight deep into the building. A north-facing skylight washes the monumental stairwells with natural light, transforming them into luminous corridors that connect floors and programs. Efficient planning and high-density shelving systems maximize the library’s collection capacity while reinforcing the building’s institutional presence and connective role on campus.

Interior walkway with glass railings and concrete walls, where patterned exterior screens filter sunlight and cast intricate shadows across the space.

Interior view of a multi-level library with book stacks, glass railings, concrete columns, and a central stair that draws filtered daylight through the building.

Students study at wood reading tables beside full-height windows overlooking a landscaped campus, with warm pendant lights suspended above.

AWARDS

AIA New York

2011 Honor Award for Architecture
AIA California

2010 Honor Award for Architecture 2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards California Construction Best Of 2008 Design Awards, Award of Merit, Outstanding Architectural Design
AIA / American Library Association

2009 Library Building Awards
California Construction Best Of Design Awards

2008 Award of Merit, Outstanding Architectural Design