Duane Library, Gothic Revival library at Fordham University, Bronx, United States
Duane Library is a 1926–1928 building at Fordham University's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, now housing the admissions office and theology department. Its interior has oak paneling and a spiral staircase, and the 2004 renovation added a new staircase built from marble slabs taken from the original book stacks.
The structure was built between 1926 and 1928 and named after Father William J. Duane, who led the university as president from 1924 to 1930. It was constructed during a period when the university was expanding its facilities and strengthening its presence in the region.
In 2018 the Metropolitan Museum of Art gave Fordham a quarter-scale digital reproduction of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, made for its 2017–2018 exhibition Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer. It hangs in Butler Commons, a gathering space inside Duane Library.
The building houses the university admissions office, theology department, lecture halls, and study areas for students and visitors. A major renovation has modernized the interior while preserving the original architectural character and improving accessibility throughout.
The 2004 restoration added a new staircase built from marble slabs taken from the library's original book stacks. The same project removed the granite porch of the second-floor entrance, moving the main door down to grade level.
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