Milk [Seattle] – Not just a library
Bibliophiles, architecture fanatics and people with an affinity for shiny reflection need to visit the Seattle Public Library. Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaus, the building is a stimulating sight. Stand outside the library and enjoy the light reflecting from geometric glass shapes onto neighbouring buildings, electric cars and passersby. Some describe this sensory experience as a living movie, and the interior is just as mesmerizing.
The interior is awash with colour. Lemon yellow, cherry red and Oscar green bounce off the hard industrial accents of gray concrete and metal. Koolhaus wanted to create an educational space that was a functional art piece. There are many floors with different vantage points and opportunities to look down at the floors below. Perhaps the shining feature is the 10th floor viewing platform, which provides an impressive view of Puget Sound with its beautiful surroundings. From the platform, colour intersects with light playing off the angles in this space. Become one with nature in the library. That’s right. Education and meditation all wrapped into one. Perhaps the best thing of all is that the library permits closed beverages. You didn’t think librarians could separate Seattleites from their favourite coffee, did you? Enjoy a latte and read in this wonderfully modern yet peaceful space.
Seattle Public Library
Location: 1000 4th Ave, 3rd Floor, Seattle
Open: Monday – Thursday, 10:00am – 8:00 pm; Friday – Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm; Sunday, 12:00pm – 6:00pm
[image: Patterson Pope]