A product of inspired design and unprecedented international precast concrete delivery, the spectacular 237,000 ft2 (22,000 m2) Salt Lake City Public Library in Utah opened in early 2004 on a premium 9.5 acre (3.9 ha) downtown site. Built at a cost of $92 million, the library complex comprises three main buildings-including the landmark Crescent and Triangle Buildings-incorporating acid-etched architectural precast concrete panels. With gorgeous views of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains all around, this new magnet for community life in the heart of Salt Lake City offers visitors the Urban Room, a city park, retail facilities, an amphitheater, a sunken garden, a waterfall, a reflection pond, a children’s library, and a 600-space underground parking structure. Well beyond fulfilling its function as a magnificent, new urban library for the city planners, this architectural precast concrete design succeeded in becoming an unexpected catalyst for the city’s renaissance. This article addresses the very complex precast concrete Crescent Building design, new production mold techniques, erection, and the challenging international transportation logistics required to make this daring architectural vision a reality.
