Introduction to Seattle Central Library: The Seattle Public Library — Central Library is the flagship library of the Seattle Public Library system in the United States and is a famous deconstructivist building. It is an 11-story (56-meter-high) glass and steel building located in the city center. The museum was opened to the public on May 24, 2004. The library was designed by Rem Koolhaas, and the Portland-based architectural firm of Hoffman was the general contractor. This 34,000-square-meter public library houses approximately 1.45 million books and other materials, including more than 500 computers open to the public, and also has an underground public parking lot. Usage exceeded 2 million people in the first year. The library has a unique and prominent appearance, consisting of a number of discrete "floating platforms", like being in a large spider web.