Land+Living: Seattle Public Library

Architecture — May 16, 2004 Posted by Anthony

The most striking and imaginative piece of Seattle architecture.

Continuing our theme of regional newspaper magazines, the Seattle Times Magazine, Pacific Northwest, has a write up on the city's stunning new library.

"This is a building designed to be understood inside out. It is expected to upend your assumptions about structure: In the words of key designer and former Seattleite Joshua Ramus, "A truly rational building will not look rational." In The World According To Koolhaas, a building will not necessarily be a box, with function forced to fit the space, but rather space expanded here and contracting there to fit function. It is like a house with the naturalness of add-ons, built over generations, but these add-ons are integrated from the beginning.

Article: Pacific Northwest
Link: Seattle Times
Firm: OMA
Photographs: Benjamin Benschneider

©BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER

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©BENJAMIN BENSCHNEIDER

4 comments

Comments (4)

Teodoro Barragan — November 17, 2005
Brilliant

I believe that Mr. Rem Koolhaas is a brilliant Architect who has had such an impact in the Architectural Industry for his amazing designs that defie gravity, shape, form, balance...etc...I love his work..

Anonymous — December 21, 2005

As someone who works in a library, I can only offer my heartfelt sympathy for those souls that actually have to work in that abortion day after day. I can only imagine the damage the sun has already done to their collection and their complections.

James — December 21, 2005
Modern building material miracles: laminated glass

Regardless of what you may thing of this building, sun damage is not likely to be a problem. The building uses laminated glass which can screen out almost all UV rays, and also reduces solar heat gain.

Terri — October 25, 2006
My instructors view

My instructor for architectual history siad It did'nt fit in at all with "the building fabric of that part of the city. He siad he drove past it three or four times not knowing it was a new building."figuring instead that it was a horrible mistake from the seventies".