Daylight as the main material. North-facing sawtooth clerestories give an even, glare-free light for reading, while the glazed south side opens the room to the trees.
A public reading room under north light, among the sycamores
The Arroyo Reading Pavilion is a 32 by 10 metre public reading room set on a concrete plinth in the Arroyo Seco. Three long steps run the full length of the south side, doubling as seating and leading up to a shaded terrace.
The south wall is entirely glazed between slender bronze columns on a 4 metre grid, screened by vertical timber fins at one-metre centres that filter low afternoon sun. A full-length bookshelf lines the solid north wall, and a compact cedar-clad core at the east end holds restrooms and storage.
The roof is two north-light sawtooth bays rising from 4.65 to 6.45 metres. Their vertical clerestories face north, washing the reading tables in even daylight without glare, and the fully glazed west end reveals the sawtooth profile against the trees.
Developed with AI-assisted design and visualization tools.
