Arts and Architecture

The Central Library has a variety of art and architecture. You can admire the fantastic architectural sights around the library. The building features 538,000 square feet of space on eight floors, nearly 89 miles of shelving, and seating for more than 1,400 people. The Rotunda ceiling centers on the magnificent bronze Zodiac Chandelier created by Lee Lawrie, who designed most of the Goodhue Building's necessary metalwork. If you stand under the globe, you'll see 48 lights around the rim (there were 48 U.S. states at the time) and the zodiac signs. Also in the rotunda are 12 large murals painted by Dean Cornwell, representing different parts of California’s history. Additionally, you can find an Ancient Egyptian statue in one of the stairwells. This was here because the library opened on the same day King Tut's tomb was discovered. The structure's architecture takes many cues from Ancient Egyptian, Art Deco, and Mexican Late Baroque. The chandelier, designed by Goodhue Associates in 1926, was extensively restored as part of the library's rebirth and expansion after the significant arson fire in 1986.