Library History
Over the years, the Central Library has undergone a number of building renovations, including a major remodel completed by Jerry A. Zimmer (1980) and the new Children’s Library Project (2015), which expanded the Children’s Library from 1,500 to over 6,000 square feet.
The Michael Towbes Library Plaza, the library’s most recent capital project, creates 10,000 square feet of programmable space between the Library and the Museum of Art. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Cultural Arts District, the Library Plaza’s renovation was inspired by original architectural elements of the Central Library (designed by architect Francis Wilson and opened in 1917) and the Faulkner Memorial Art Gallery (designed by Myron Hunt and opened in 1930). The Egyptian Sunburst Poppies design above the exterior doors of the Faulkner Gallery, first created by California landscape artist John Gamble, has been restored to its original grandeur. The three historic reflecting ponds in the Plaza’s original 1930 design, are creatively and sustainably reimagined through two travertine mosaics and a pond-shaped planter that flow outward from the Faulkner Gallery toward Anapamu Street.
The Faulkner Gallery, also recently renovated with new carpet and painted walls, known for featuring exhibitions by community artists groups such as the Oak Group, Santa Barbara Art Association, and Fiber Arts Guild, once showcased artworks from Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keefe, “The Blue Four” exhibition in 1932 (Feininger, Kandinsky, Jawlensky, and Klee), and Alfredo Ramos Martínez.
The Central Library’s Historic Main Entrance (corner of Anapamu and Anacapa) has also been revitalized. The Tympanum Archway has been refurbished and a new programming space, Storytime Square, features a stone patio, fresh landscaping, and California native trees.
