About the building

Exterior side view of the South Park Branch
Exterior side view of the South Park Branch

The architects designed the contemporary stucco and cedar-clad building to create a civic presence. An outdoor plaza at the corner of Eighth Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street provides a community gathering place.

A pattern in the concrete path that winds through the plaza imitates the original path of the Duwamish River. The branch’s sign doubles as a fountain, with water cascading down the concrete monument.

Inside the branch, the 90,000 holes in the wood ceiling are both decorative and help absorb noise.