Boulder Public Library

1101 Arapahoe Avenue/ International Style/
First Phase: James M. Hunter architect/ built 1961
Second Phase: Roger J. Easton architect/ built 1974
(Third Phase: built 1990s)

The library was built in three phases, this tour focuses on the first two which express the progressive ideas of Mid-Century-Modernism. The first phase was built along Canyon Boulevard in the International style of the American Modern master, Edward Durrell Stone. It consisted of a theater in the back, horizontal wings for library stacks in the middle, and a box for the lobby in a balanced, symmetrical form. The building has a welcoming colonnade along the entire east side that borders two courtyards with concrete screen walls. The roofs are flat.

The second phase addition to the south uses the same materials as the original building but has a different character. A glass bridge dramatically spans Boulder Creek and leads to a two-story concrete and glass paneled area that houses library stacks. A special feature is the covered plaza at the ground level that faces the creek.

(The third phase addition along Arapahoe Avenue acts as the main entrance.)