Located in upstate New York, SUNY Binghamton University is home to the Glenn G. Bartle Library, a mid-century academic landmark characterized by its gridded architectural rhythms and large open spaces where students gather to study, research, and discover new ideas. The University commissioned Pentagram to create a data-driven mural that transforms a prominent, newly renovated space within Bartle Library into a layered visual portrait that reflects the character and complexity of the Library’s collections.


To ground the work in the spirit of the institution, the team immersed themselves in the daily life of Bartle Library in an on-site research trip. They observed how books are mended in the repair room, explored the quiet architecture of the stacks, and studied the distinctive materials held in Special Collections. These experiences revealed a library defined not only by its holdings but by the care, research, and movement that define it.

This perspective shaped a visual system that gives form to the Library’s most engaged materials. Two hundred objects are represented as a field of extruded tiles that move chronologically across the wall and cluster vertically in related groups. Each tile carries a custom pattern drawn from scans of textures, surfaces, and architectural details collected throughout the building. These patterns become a visual vocabulary for subject areas, turning the physical identity of Bartle Library into a graphic language. Tile shape distinguishes physical from digital materials, a secondary dot pattern and the extruded edge color identify the item’s home library, and the background rectangle color highlights the majors most closely associated with the material. A progression of lines from thin to thick conveys total borrowings, creating a subtle rhythm across the installation.

The two hundred objects span ten categories, including print books, e-books, journals, Binghamton theses and dissertations, pre-print and institutional repository materials, databases and indexes, LibGuides, film and streaming video, special collections, and musical scores. Installed on wooden panels with an accompanying legend, the mural invites both immediate impact and intimate close reading.

Across the room, a companion interactive wall extends the experience into a collaborative space. Students select magnets coded by major and place them in response to prompts about reading habits, learning, privacy, and the future of knowledge. As more contributions appear, the wall accumulates clusters and gradients that form organic visualizations shaped entirely by the community.

Together, the two installations recast the space as an active reflection of Binghamton University Libraries. The project celebrates the collections, the expertise that sustains them, and the evolving connection between students and the knowledge they encounter.