The third-floor landings in the public stairwells open to the concrete platform outside the library originally intended to be used for sculpture displays, acoustic music, impromptu outdoor conversations, an open public meeting area, and poetry readings. The “third floor” is actually two separate levels. It is reinforced concrete, and an emergency exit helps students from the 4-8 floors get out without going to the second floor. There is no other third floor, blocked off or otherwise. In reality, the “missing” third floor is actually the open/outside forum.
Hence, the third floor has been left empty, a common urban legend, associated at different times with many other university libraries. One of the more popular stories is that the building’s design had not considered the eventual weight of books in the library. That has given rise to several fanciful explanations for why the third floor is apparently sealed off and not accessible from elevators or steps.
One unusual feature of the library is that the lower levels are numbered 1 and 2, and the upper floors are numbered 4 to 8. Its tower rises 8 stories to a height of 110 ft (33.5 m)-the five upper stories of the tower house collections, individual study space, and group study rooms. Within its two subterranean levels are the other library sections as well as study spaces and computer labs. In keeping with the original master plan, these are deliberately designed to be subordinated to the existing library’s strong, geometrical form. It was envisioned that future additions to the original building would form terraced levels around the tower base descending into the canyon. This change of material presented an opportunity for a more sculptural design. Pereira originally conceived a steel-framed building, but this was changed to reinforced concrete to save on construction and maintenance costs. William Pereira & Associates prepared a detailed report in 1969.
Ucsd library books full#
The design is full of energy as the changing façade varies from level to level and side to side. The building gets its brutalist label from the raw concrete piers that support the building, angle, and extent outwards. Built as part of the University of San Diego’s library system, the building has been described as hands holding a stack of books. The distinctive original building was designed in the late 1960s by William Pereira to sit at the canyon’s head. The Geisel’s were long-time residents of La Jolla, where UC San Diego is located. Seuss) for the generous contributions to the library and their devotion to improving literacy. The Geisel Library is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as Dr.
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