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Seattle Central Library Review
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Seattle Central Library
- Address: 1000 4th Ave., Downtown, Seattle, WA | Map It
- Phone: 206/386-4636
- www.spl.org
Fodor's Review:
The structure that resembles a spaceship covered in delicate spiderweb threads is the hub of Seattle's 25-branch library system. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the 11-story building houses 1.4 million books -- the nonfiction titles on a four-level "book spiral" with continuous access -- plus 400 computers, an auditorium, a "mixing chamber" floor of information desks, an area with materials in languages other than English, and a café. Floors zigzagging upward are visible from outside the metal facade. Intersecting beams, pipes, and trusses ensure that the costly building ($159 million plus) can withstand the region's earthquakes. Tours focusing on the building's architecture are offered several times a week on a first-come, first-served basis; call for a current schedule. The reading room on the 10th floor has views of the city and the water.
- Open: Mon.-Thurs. 10-8, Fri. and Sat. 10-6, Sun. noon-6
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