GEISEL LIBRARY

San Diego, CA

This is the main library building of the University of California / San Diego. It is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel, the latter of whom is better known as children's author Dr. Seuss. The building's distinctive architecture, described as occupying "a fascinating nexus between brutalism and futurism", has made it iconic and a widely recognized building. The library was designed by William Pereira and opened in 1970. The building's arches, in combination with the design of the individual floors, are intended to look like hands holding up stacks of books. It houses over seven million volumes to support the educational and research objectives of the university. It also contains the Dr. Seuss Collection of original drawings and sketches. The approximately 8,500 items in the collection document the full range of Dr. Seuss's creative achievements, beginning in 1919 with his high school activities and ending with his death in 1991. By the way, Dr. Seuss actually was a doctor, holding a doctorate in literature from Dartmouth College.

As I meandered about the campus, I was struck by the walkability of the area. The students we predominately of Asian heritage. I went to the top floor of the library to finish the detail of the sketch, feeling a bit like a student myself, although 60 years their senior. Who cared? Age is a state of mind, right? Upon leaving, I was walking in sunny, moderate weather of southern California, and in a matter of minutes, a cloud of heavy fog rolled in, leaving the area dark and chilly.