These Are the Most Beautiful Libraries in the West
From small-town Alaska to downtown L.A., these architectural wonders impress with their stunning designs and swoon-worthy collections
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Geisel Library, University of San Diego, La Jolla, CA
This marvel of concrete and glass has become a standout landmark on the UCSD campus. Named for Audrey and Theodore Seuss Geisel (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss), the imaginative design seems to be fitting tribute.Arabian Library, Scottsdale, AZ
In a rust hue and curving shape that pay homage to the surrounding desert landscape, the building’s award-winning design shines with indoor-outdoor elements, such as “canyon courts” that open to the sky.
Seattle Public Library
Famed architects Rem Koolhaus and Joshua Prince-Ramus took the helm of revamping Seattle’s public libraries in the late ‘90s, and their magic touch shows in the very contemporary glass-and-steel main branch. The architectural interest doesn’t stop once you enter its doors, either. Don’t miss the interior “book spiral,” a corkscrew-shaped display system connected by ramps that enable you to browse shelves while remaining on the same floor.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwAEHWAHjKI/Los Angeles Central Library
The largest public library in the West, the DTLA icon was designed with Ancient Egypt in mind in a nod to one of history’s most illuminated civilizations. You can see it in the tiled pyramid topping the structure as well as more subtle geometric motifs throughout the interior.UNAM Central Library, Mexico City
Housing one of the largest book collections in Mexico, this palace to learning happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a glance at its sublimely intricate edifice and it’s not hard to see why. The exterior mural is but one of many gracing the building inside and out.Vancouver Central Library
With a facade resembling the Roman Colosseum, a continuous outdoor piazza, and an internal glass facade and elliptical-shaped wall framing the entry, it’s one eye-catching feature after another at this downtown-set main branch.San Francisco Main Library
The modern building’s pièce de résistance is its dramatic, spiral-shaped skylight capping off a five-story atrium. In fact, incorporating natural light seemed to be a guiding principle in the design, as also seen in the light wells appearing throughout, intersected by bridges connecting the building floors.Hawaii State Library, Honolulu
On the outside, it’s all Ancient Rome what with the stately columns and arches. The inside, however, is locally inspired: murals depict Hawaiian legends, a garden courtyard features a mosaic rendering of ocean waves.
