Dramatic marriage of old & new

Schacht Aslani Architects’ design for the expansion of Seattle’s historic Douglass-Truth Branch of The Seattle Public Library brings historic and contemporary architecture together to create a striking composition that echoes social change in the surrounding community. The sculptural shape of the new glass and copper addition complements the crisp classical form and material of the landmark 1914 building. Once at the center of the city’s Jewish neighborhood, Douglass-Truth today has transformed into the center of the African American community in Seattle, housing the largest historical and literary collection of African American materials in the Northwest.