Seattle Public Library

“At a time when the electronic revolution seemingly dissolves everything that is solid - getting rid of any need for concentration and embodiment - the utmost idea of a library appears to be completely absurd”

Before I elaborate on the “stranded rocket in downtown Seattle,” it is important to mention the people behind the scenes, whose efforts are usually not documented anywhere. From the very beginning, the SPL project was led by Deborah L. Jacobs, who secured funding, selected the architect, and stubbornly fought for her idea. The central library has the fortune (or misfortune) of being designed by a famous architect and is written about everywhere, but the SPL project also represents several new local branches from quality local architects, whose libraries never make it into European magazines.
Visionary Rem Koolhaas has always opposed any conventions (both formal and programmatic). In the case of SPL, his task was to make the library attractive to a completely new type of visitors. He found the solution in the response: “The library transforms from a space for reading into a social center with multiple competencies.” The twelve-story building consists of five main platforms that leap and bounce in various ways, creating an irregular outline of the structure. The most important level is the “spiral of books,” which passes like a ramp through four floors and allows for free selection of books. From the upper floors, there are views of the levels below you, the city, and Puget Sound Bay. At the very top is the reading room with walnut wood flooring and a 12-foot high ceiling. The main floor houses an auditorium for 275 people with rooms for translators and a children's area with “learning pillars” made of concrete and bamboo. The second floor features a “living room” with carpet on the floor and red curved sofas for 20 people. There is also a café, video library, and a place for reading newspapers and magazines on the same level. On the fourth floor, there is an information stand and 130 of the total 400 publicly accessible computers in the building.
The new library has a capacity of 1,400,000 titles. A serpentine belt of books extends from the main floor to the highest level, where borrowed books are mechanically sorted and returned to the shelves.
The façade looks like a steel mat. In total, it used 10,000 glass panels measuring 4x7 feet (although it may not appear so, half of them have individual dimensions). The protection of the all-glass structure against sunlight is ensured by an aluminum mesh embedded in Okalux insulating triple glazing. The sloping statically demanding beams take care of a prominent entrance, while also serving as protection during earthquakes. The $156 million construction has many intriguing details that prioritize the person, not the books.