City of Austin Central Library

Double the size of the old library, the City of Austin’s new Central Library is a nine-story, 198,000-s.f. new building that is now Austin’s largest ever public library. “The iconic building is defined by a daylight-filled, six-story atrium wrapped by collections and event space,” according to the general contractor Hensel Phelps. It features a bridge connecting the building to 2nd Street over Shoal Creek, an underground parking garage, a restaurant and special event center that can hold more than 300 people, an outdoor café, as well as an art gallery.