Architect Cesar Pelli went über-mod on his design for this downtown gem. Some traditionalists think it's showy, but open up a book inside this space and you can understand that everything about this building is geared toward words. The desks along the windows on the upper floors make great spots to study. Perfect little swivel chairs adorn the first floor. And everything about the place is light, which filters through high windows covered in pixilated frost. The building makes reading less lonely. Folks come in from all around to peek inside a book. Teens can escape adolescence inside the Emma B. Howe Teen Central, stocked with plenty of manga and Neil Gaiman treats. It's a jewel of a building, right downtown, and a magical place to read.