Seattle Central Library
Seattle Attractions--Downtown Architecture
Completed 2004
Architects: Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Ramus
Architectural Firms: Office for Metropolitan Architecture and LMN Architects
1000 4th Avenue
INDEX
| Introduction |
| Tours |
| Hours |
| Recommended Book |
| Photo Gallery Page 1--Exterior Views & Coffee Shop |
| Photo Gallery Page 2--Interior Views |
| Photo Gallery Page 3--Interior Views |
A required activity for architecture lovers and avid photographers is a tour of this architectural masterpiece. Seattle Central Library looks like a giant spaceship that just landed or an Erector Set on steroids. This striking 11-story building is interesting on the outside and the inside. Visitors flock to the library. It is a dramatic building set in the middle of Seattle’s beautiful downtown.
Construction details:
- The building was completed at a cost of $194,000,000
- The building has 9,994 panels of glass
- The glass would cover over 5 football fields
- The concrete used in construction would cover 10 football fields to a depth of one foot.
- The building was designed and built to withstand earthquakes
- It features 355,000 square feet of usable floor space
Some of the building features include:
- 400 public computers
- One million items on its shelves
- Capacity for 1,450,000 items
- A gift shop (Third Level)
- A coffee shop (Third Level)
- An art gallery for local artists
- Four major meeting rooms
- The Microsoft auditorium for meetings up to 275 people
View from Fifth Avenue
For photographers, this building is a destination you must visit. The Seattle Central Library offers a dizzying array of great viewpoints both outside and inside. Go up to the tenth floor, the highest point for visitors to view the library. The panoramic views from this perch are splendid. The psychedelic yellow escalators make great subjects for photos.
View from 10th floor
Architectural tours: the Library does offer architectural tours. Check on the library's website page for more details about the tours.
Website: click this linkto go to the website for the Seattle Central Library
Hours: the Library is open daily at 10:00 a.m. until 8 p.m. for Monday through Thursday. It is open 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are noon until 6 p.m.
Recommended Book: OMA Seattle Public Library
Please click here to read our detailed book review and to buy the book
Entrance to Third Level from Fifth Avenue
The Beautiful Carpeting in the Third Level Reading Area
Click on the following links to go to our Photo Gallery pages with more photos and information about the library.
| Photo Gallery | Contents |
| Page One | Exterior Shots and Coffee Shop |
| Page Two | Interior Shots |
| Page Three | Interior Shots |
Click here to return to page Seattle Architecture--Downtown General