Seattle Central Library, Public library in Downtown Seattle, United States
The library extends across eleven floors within a steel and glass construction featuring slanted surfaces and transparent walls along Fourth Avenue, displaying unconventional geometric shapes and exposed structural elements.
The facility opened on May 23, 2004, replacing earlier buildings that had existed since 1891, with Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus serving as lead architects and the Gates Foundation contributing a significant portion of the $165 million construction cost.
This library serves over 8,000 daily visitors with free access to digital resources, work spaces and community programs, making it a central meeting point for residents from all city neighborhoods.
The library sits between Third and Fourth avenues in central Downtown, accessible via multiple bus lines and the Westlake Link Light Rail station, with barrier-free access provided through elevators and ramps at all entrances.
The Book Spiral extends across four floors without interruptions, encompassing roughly 410,000 volumes (412,000 sq ft) arranged without gaps between categories, creating room for future collection growth within each classification.
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