Completed in 1995 and sitting at approximately 240,000 sqft, The San Antonio Central Library was designed to become a beacon of the city at the time, not only through the use of vibrant colors that attract the eye but also through the uniquely shaped forms not seen at the time. The combination of color and form creating conversation amongst visitors, and an icon of the downtown cityscape.

 

The buildings geometry of rotated and cut away boxes was largely determined by the way the interior space needs happened to fit into the site so that visitors would see the library as a friendly, easy, and inviting building.

 

The exterior is a visual wonderland of shapes, angles and openings that create interplay of light and shadows, both inside and outside the building. The area is distributed in seven stories, six of them above ground. The main mass is a 6 story box surrounding a yellow sky lit atrium that serves as a focal point for each floor, while some terraces are accented by large geometric shapes.