Koolhaas-Designed Seattle Central Draws Raves Before Opening

-- Library Journal, 05/17/2004

Two of the country's most prominent architecture critics have raved about the new Rem Koolhaas-designed Central Library of Seattle Public Library (SPL), and they extended their kudos to SPL Director Deborah Jacobs. "At a dark hour, Seattle's new Central Library is a blazing chandelier to swing your dreams upon," wrote Herbert Muschamp in the New York Times. "If an American city can erect a civic project as brave as this one, the sun hasn't set on the West. In more than 30 years of writing about architecture, this is the most exciting new building it has been my honor to review." He added, "But there's never been a great building without a strong client in the history of the world, and Ms. Jacobs is now up there with popes and princes as an instigator of fabulous cities." In the New Yorker, Paul Goldberger was equally effusive: "The result is the most important new library to be built in a generation, and the most exhilarating. Koolhaas has always been a better architect than social critic, and the building conveys a sense of the possibility, even the urgency, of public space in the center of a city." Of the director, he added, "Deborah Jacobs seems to have been about as close to an ideal client as could be imagined, and she protected the architects from some of their worst instincts." Both writers noted the user-friendly design of the building--lessons learned from previous projects--but the library won't open until May 23. We're optimistic the new Central will impress users as it has the critics.