Established in memory of I Tatti's longest-serving Director, the Walter J. Kaiser Reading Room was formerly known as the 'Big Library'. The space was renovated in 2017 to serve the needs of a modern academic community and now houses sixteen state-of-the-art workspaces. This transformation provides I Tatti with a functional and beautiful area where appointees and visiting scholars can work in close proximity.
The opening ceremony was attended by Walter Kaiser's friends and family, many of whom had generously contributed to this initiative. The talented architects and artisans who worked on the redesign of the space were also in attendance.
The opening ceremony of the Walter J. Kaiser Reading Room
Left to right: Chairman of the Villa I Tatti Council, Susan Roberts; Director of the Biblioteca Berenson, Michael Rocke; Director of I Tatti, Alina Payne
Alina Payne with architects Sharon Miura and Floriana Taddei