Central Library & Branches Architectural Print

What does a library look like?

Los Angeles Public Library, comprised of 73 total branches, including the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, is one of the most sprawling library systems in the nation. Across the city, LAPL's buildings represent a unique narrative about our city's urban landscape, one that elucidates the city's history, style, and community. From the bureaucratic brutalism of branches such as Pio-Pico Koreatown Branch (3) and Vernon Branch (4) to the dynamic, ultra-contemporary visions that sit on cracked concrete street corners such as the Mark Twain Branch (45) and Encino-Tarzana Branch (47), each building holds the sometimes (lovingly) ugly but always aspiring personality of Los Angeles.

With wildly different aesthetics, one single question comes to mind: What does a library look like? We might imagine bookshelves, of course, computers, and maybe some seating. But what about the outside? The answer might be in the details. Interconnected with Central Library's theme of "The Light of Learning" one can see common motifs incorporated across the branches: the towers, the pyramids (how many can you count?), the copper-green patina railing and windows, subtle zig-zags reminiscent of our 90s era classic library card, and the torch allusions are on display if you look closely enough. Strung together by this theme across time, LAPL's libraries aren't just about Los Angeles, but are about aspiring to be a beacon for the communities they sit in. 

You can enjoy a close look at each with this original print, showcasing artwork of all of LAPL's branches, numbered and labeled based on LAPL's own maps. Artwork by J. Flores.