20 of the Most Exquisite Libraries in the World

SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY (CENTRAL BRANCH), WASHINGTON

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the SPL’s central branch building juts out of the downtown skyline. The glass-and-steel edifice stands 11 stories tall, and due to its location on a hill you can enter and exit on different floors. The inside pops thanks to a vivid green color used as a decorative touch on walls and in the elevator—fitting, since Seattle’s nickname is “the Emerald City.” Head to the 10th-floor reading room to take in views of the city, including Elliott Bay.