July 26, 2004—The new Seattle Public Library and Spacesaver have teamed up to create revolutionary shelving that functions as well as it looks. Stationary cantilever bookshelves in the main lobby, called the “Living Room,” feature translucent acrylic tops and end panels, accentuating the dramatic glass and steel building designed by Rem Koolhaas of the Dutch architectural firm OMA, in a joint venture with LMN Architects of Seattle. Several ranges of these bookshelves are fanned out at purposely skewed angles, punctuating the custom-designed carpeting.
The main lobby is also home to the “Friends of the Library Shop,” which is conveniently housed in a Spacesaver mobile shelving system. With the units mounted on carriages and rails, the shop can easily be closed-up and locked-down. Merchandise is displayed in custom-built Artek cabinets that include recessed lighting and a built-in cash register.
The innovative Book Spiral at the center of the library is a gently sloping ramp that allows library patrons to flow from the sixth to the ninth floor – without ever using a stair or elevator – while viewing a continuous collection of books, as well as the spectacular Seattle skyline. Powered Spacesaver mobile systems maximize shelving capacity by eliminating multiple aisles to allow space for the library’s collection to eventually grow from 900,000 items to 1.4 million.
Case-type Spacesaver shelving on the tenth floor serves to partition off an area accessible by appointment only. The shelving’s acrylic doors, backs and tops, however, allow patrons to peer in at any time.
For more information, contact Spacesaver.
