This new main Library reflects the character of Santa Monica as a place and as a community, supporting a well-informed public in the comfort of the benign coastal climate of southern California. Seeking to enhance community awareness and encourage public use, the design presents a building of approachable scale and civic proportions, opening in all directions to access, daylight, and views into and out of the building.

Designed through a series of community meetings, the 110,000 square foot l...