Seattle Public Library Uses Deconstructionist Architecture to Build a Library of the Future

Seattle Central Library. Seattle, WA. The Seattle Public Library’s flagship, Central Library, opened in May 2004 and has been a polarizing topic ever since. The highly popular library is both loved for its post-modern, deconstructionist design and criticized for being cold- not a typical cozy library. Despite this, its become one of the most Instagramable libraries in the world (#seattlepubliclibrary) and generates millions of dollars in economic activity for the surrounding area each year. Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramos of Dutch architectural firm, OMA, teamed with Seattle architects, LMN, to replace the existing library with one that would double the book/media capacity and meet stringent building codes for Seismic UBC Zone 3 risks. The goal was to build the library of the future- a multimedia hub. The overall philosophy was to let the buildings required functions dictate the look rather than make the functions conform to the space. The result is an unusual exterior shape. The exterior “net” of 9,994 glass panels and steel frame serves as a cage to absorb the horizontal load and stabilize the building against wind and seismic events. The glass design lights the interior while also providing views of the city, Elliot Bay, and the Olympic Mountains. The interior houses: a “book spiral” of the continuous, uninterrupted nonfiction collection over 4 floors, the Microsoft auditorium, a living room, a reading room, a mixing chamber, a staff floor, and a children’s collection. Additionally, it has an automated book sorting system, self checkouts, accessible WiFi, and 400+ computers. Artistic details are throughout such as Ann Hamilton’s hardwood etchings of 556 first lines in books, in 11 languages, or Lynne Yamamoto’s sculpture of decommissioned card catalogs. Critics of the library cite a lack of elevators, escalators that bypass floors, small restrooms, use of unsoothing primary colors, and a lack of wayfinding cues. The award winning building continues to be highly popular and is considered an important architectural design of this generation. Yet, it’s interesting and helpful to see how it’s viewed by its end users. Is it a place to marvel at or a place to settle with a book?