When one says public ?library? the first thing that usually comes to mind is an old, traditional-looking building full of books. But not the Seattle Central Library.

Located at downtown Seattle, Washington, the library is both an architectural wonder and an unusual design choice for a library. This Postmodern, steel-and-glass lattice building was designed by renowned Dutch architects Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus. This 362,987 square foot library houses a staggering 1.45 million books, manuscripts, and other materials. It also has modern facilities such as 400 computers and hi-tech audiovisual equipments.

The building opened on May 23, 2004. It has drawn over 2 million visitors in its first year alone. Its distinct, striking, modern appearance earned it several accolades. In 2007, it was ranked 108th in the American Institute of Architect?s top 150 structures in the US.