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Seattle Central Library shim John & Kristie

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misc :: Saturday, September 25, 2004
Seattle Central Library
SEATTLE, WA :: I remember coming across Rem Koolhaas's modernist projects while I was in architecture school. Honestly, I think I was more impressed by his name than his buildings. Cool House... How could you possibly have a better name as an architect?

Modern design has always appealed to me, but I wondered how liveable these spaces actually were with their straight lines, stark textures, and extreme tidyness. While attractive, it all seemed too idealistic and antithetical to our general human messiness. A misplaced coaster or a mere fingerprint would ruin the carefully constructed composition. I always chuckle when I browse through a modern furniture catalog and notice all of the books on the shelves are the same shade of red, black or white. Would all the book jackets in our new, sexy, and modern library need to be replaced to match?

When Kristie and I visited the building, we were surprised. Inside the glass and steel cage are a series of inviting, enjoyable and comfortable spaces. It's a mystery to me about who still uses libraries in this internet age, but they're lucky to have such a place. People were actually browsing through the multi-colored books on cool metal and acrylic shelving. And they sat to read in blocky, unadorned chairs that looked like they'd hurt, but were actually made of soft foam-rubber.

My memories of public libraries generally consist of stuffy, musty and poorly lit rooms. The new Central Library is open, clean and bright with plenty of natural and non-incadescent lighting. The bold signage and colors helped us find our way around. There are plenty of computers and desks, and the librarians were very helpful. If I was a Seattle librarian working at any other branch, I'd be very jealous.

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