The Salt Lake City Library

Kids, hold on to your hats. Really.

above, the facade of the new-ish public library in Salt Lake City. It's an arc of glass with the library in a quenelle-shaped space inside and a bank of sofas, desks, and other useful things built into the glass.

Inside? A coffee shop (on the left) and retail along the wall:


As you ascend the glass and stone staircase (or take the glass elevator up), you see the study spaces built into the face of the building.


Go all the way up and you find a little park with benches. Want to take in the view? Sure. Want to walk down the edge? You can do that, too. They constructed an open-air walkway that runs around the building's perimeter, going from the very top down along that shiny wall to the outdoor park cupped in the library's embrace.


And because it gets cold in the valley, they built this beautiful three-level fireplace with surrounding sofas:

Fancy a cup of joe? How about a nice book? Curl up and stay a while, why don't you?

I can see how this has become the second-largest tourist draw (after Temple Square) in the city. It's gorgeous. And I haven't even gotten to the Children's Library. Just you wait.