South Park Branch Architecture | The Seattle Public Library

About the building

Exterior side view of the South Park Branch
Exterior side view of the South Park Branch

The architects designed the contemporary stucco and cedar-clad building to create a civic presence. An outdoor plaza at the corner of Eighth Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street provides a community gathering place.

A pattern in the concrete path that winds through the plaza imitates the original path of the Duwamish River. The branch’s sign doubles as a fountain, with water cascading down the concrete monument.

Inside the branch, the 90,000 holes in the wood ceiling are both decorative and help absorb noise.