Seattle Public Library: Office for Metropolitan Architecture - Rem Koolhaas (Verb Monography)

The third in the series of "Verb" monographs examines the Seattle Public Library, one of OMA's most heavily anticipated projects in the US. Its design begins with a radical rethinking of the very nature of the library. First, we look at the project in terms of the role of new media technologies that have changed the status of the library in the contemporary city, conceived as an "information store" rather than a traditional repository for books. Second, we explore the relation of the project to a well-known history of investigations by OMA of the library/mediatheque type, including the TGB, Jussieu, and ZKM projects. As with the previous "Verb" monographs, the book provides a comprehensive account of the project's design process, following its development from the initial concept books through construction to the opening of the building.