Seattle Central Library, Public library in Downtown Seattle, United States
The Seattle Central Library spans eleven floors within a steel and glass structure featuring angular surfaces and transparent walls at Fourth Avenue.
The library opened on May 23, 2004, replacing previous buildings that served the city since 1891, with funding assistance from the Gates Foundation.
The building incorporates dedicated areas called the Living Room and Mixing Chamber, transforming traditional library sections into modern social gathering spaces.
The structure contains 38,300 square meters of space, housing 1.45 million books organized in a continuous spiral sequence through multiple floors.
The Book Spiral design creates an uninterrupted path through the Dewey Decimal System, allowing books to expand and contract within their classifications.
Location: Seattle
Inception: May 23, 2004
Architects: Rem Koolhaas, Joshua Ramus
Official opening: May 23, 2004
Floors above the ground: 11
Address: 1000 4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104
Website: https://spl.org/hours-and-locations/central-library
GPS coordinates: 47.60610,-122.33300
Latest update: May 26, 2025 21:35
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