#Throwback Thursday: Celebrating the Seattle Central Library

One thing I never expected to show off to family and friends who visited when I first moved to Seattle was the city’s library. Of course, now I find myself countering their ‘are-you-joking?’ looks with a “but it’s the coolest library in the world!” I’m sure Seattleites, readers and non-readers alike, who have seen this gorgeous, 11-story, glass and steel building would agree with my superlative. And so did Architectural Digest last year when Seattle Central Library was number 1 in their top 15 libraries of the world list. They described it as a library that goes “well beyond the ordinary” and is so much more than a housing of archives. 

One of the primary minds involved in the creation of this exceptional work of art and engineering in 2004 was Dutch architect, Rem Koolhaas. A true visionary, he believed that the library should serve to celebrate all forms of knowledge-propagating media, both new and old. With the masses moving towards e-readers and acquiring knowledge, he definitely knew what he was doing building a library of the future.

So what stood in place of this award-winning structure before 2004? Take a look at some of these great pictures we found of Seattle libraries of yore and some brief historical factoids to accompany them.

The Public Library in the 1890’s was one of the tenants of The Collins Block on Second and James
PHOTO COURTESY: IMLS DIGITAL COLLECTIONS & CONTENT, C. 1898

Needing more space, the Public Library moved to the Yesler Mansion, but unfortunately it burned down
in 1901 requiring a 3rd move
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKICOMMONS

In 1903, Chicago Architect P.J. Weber created the Carnegie Library which was located in the same spot 
as our present-day library. This was Seattle’s downtown library for approximately 60 years
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES, C. 1914

In the 1930’s, the community pushed for the Carnegie library to be replaced for even more space. In 1960,
the new Central Library was built and larger than ever, complete with a drive-in service window! 
PHOTO COURTESY OF SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES
And then finally, in 1998, Koolhaas in conjunction with Seattle-based LMN architecture firm, were commissioned to double the size of the Central Library and construct the spectacle we know and love today. The present day structure was completed in May of 2004 and holds nearly 1.5 million books and over 400 public computers. Plus it’s just fabulous to ogle at. The more I learned about Koolhaas, the more I was impressed with his architectural greatness and uniquely modernistic and inspired flair. Here are some of the other ‘kool’ buildings he has architected. Prepare to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’: 

From left to write, up to down: Illinois Institute of Technology EL train tunnel (photo credit: John Picken Photography); Casa de Musica exterior (Ramon Peco); Casa de Musica front (Javier Enjuto); Taipei Performing Arts Center (Forgemind Archimedia); Rotterdam (Roman Boed); Prada Basement (Forgemind Archimedia); Educatorium (Rory Hyde); Serpentine Gallery (Adam Burt); Seattle Central Library (wikicommons)