Editing Seattle Central Library (section)

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox building
| name             = Seattle Central Library
| image            = Seattle Library 01.jpg
| image_size       = 260px
| caption          = Seattle Central Library in 2019
| location         = 1000 Fourth Avenue<br />[[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]]<br />98104
| coordinates      = {{coord|47.606699|-122.332503|region:US-WA|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| status           = 
| start_date       = {{Start date and age|2002}}
| completion_date  = {{Start date and age|2004}}
| opening          = May 23, 2004
| building_type    = Public Library
| antenna_spire    = 
| roof             = {{convert|185.01|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="emporis">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150219161653/http://www.emporis.com/buildings/100524/seattle-central-library-seattle-wa-usa Emporis: Seattle Central Library]}} Retrieved on February 19, 2015</ref>
| map_type         = Seattle WA Downtown
| map_caption      = Location within downtown Seattle
| architectural    = {{convert|196|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}<ref name="emporis" />
| top_floor        = 
| floor_count      = 11<ref name="emporis" />
| elevator_count   = 
| cost             = $165.9 million<ref name="historyCentral" />
| floor_area       = {{convert|362,987|sqft|m2|-2|abbr=on}}<ref>[http://www.spl.org/locations/central-library/cen-about-the-central-library About Central Library] Retrieved on February 15, 2015</ref>
| architect        = [[LMN Architects]]/[[Office for Metropolitan Architecture]]
| structural_engineer = [[Magnusson Klemencic Associates]] with [[Arup Group Limited]]
| main_contractor  = [[Hoffman Construction Company]]
| developer        = [[Seattle Public Library]]
| owner            = [[Seattle Public Library]]
| management       = 
| references       = 
}}
The '''Seattle Central Library''' is the flagship library of the [[Seattle Public Library]] system. The 11-story (185 feet or 56.9 meters high) [[glass]] and [[steel]] [[building]] in the [[Downtown Seattle|downtown core]] of [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] was opened to the public on May 23, 2004. [[Rem Koolhaas]] and [[Joshua Prince-Ramus]] of OMA/LMN were the principal [[architects]], and [[Magnusson Klemencic Associates]] was the structural engineer with [[Arup Group Limited|Arup]]. Arup also provided mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering, as well as fire/life safety, security, IT and communications, and audio visual consulting. [[Hoffman Construction Company]] of [[Portland, Oregon]], was the general contractor.

The {{convert|362987|sqft|m2}} [[public library]] has the capacity to hold about one and a half million [[book]]s and other materials. It offers underground public [[parking]] for 143 vehicles and over 400 computers accessible to the public. Over two million people visited the library during its first year. It is the third Seattle Central Library building to be located on the same site at 1000 Fourth Avenue, the block bounded by Fourth and Fifth Avenues and [[Madison Street (Seattle)|Madison]] and Spring Streets. The library has a unique, striking appearance, consisting of several discrete "floating platforms" seemingly wrapped in a large steel net around glass skin. Architectural tours of the building began in June 2004.

In 2007, the building was voted #108 on the [[American Institute of Architects]]' list of Americans' 150 favorite structures in the U.S.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith |first=Andy |url=http://blog.aia.org/favorites/2007/02/108_seattle_public_library_200.html |title=108. Seattle Public Library (2004) - Seattle, WA; Rem Koolhaas; Office for Metropolitan Architecture; LMN Architects (America's Favorite Architecture) |publisher=Blog.aia.org |date=2007-02-06 |access-date=2012-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926215552/http://blog.aia.org/favorites/2007/02/108_seattle_public_library_200.html |archive-date=2013-09-26 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It was one of two places in Seattle to be included on the list of 150 structures, the other being [[T-Mobile Park]].