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Soundings
Move Over Space Needle
April 9, 2004
It'll be one spectacular May with the opening of Seattle's new Central Library downtown.
National magazines are already knocking on the door, jostling to photograph the new
architectural glass monument that could well become Seattle's 21st Century signature design.
And, you ain't seen nothin' yet. If the exterior is eye-popping, the interior is even more
amazing. Stepping inside the vibrant new landmark is an out-of-body, holy cow, sensational
experience. Disneyland, cry your eyes out.
The walls seemingly melt away and you feel as if you're floating, suspended in space. The
city wraps protectively around you, but you're still aware of the panoramic natural setting
beyond. Reach out and you can almost touch Mount Rainier, the Olympics and Elliott Bay.
As if these views weren't stimulating enough, the interior unleashes arresting pop colors
- deep reds, yellows, pinks and chartreuse -- that splash across glass and steel. Books spiral
up through four levels in the center of the building. Architectual Digest wrote: "The new
Central Library will provide the type of public space that Seattle does not yet know it lacks."
How does architect Rem Koolhaas feel about all this? City Librarian Deborah Jacobs
quotes the reknown Dutch architect: "At this point in the project, you wonder 'who did it?'
This is one time that I don't have to drool with envy." March 16, 2004 - "A Diamond in the Rough"
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