It will house collections of books on chemistry, earth sciences, ecology and evolutionary biology, and molecular biology.
Gehry's traditional contemporary project will contrast with the neo-Gothic development of the university campus. But the leadership of the university is not worried about such a contradiction, especially since at the same time the building of Whitman College is being constructed there, designed by the traditionalist architect Demetri Porfirios, demonstrating loyalty to the Gothic motives.
The money for the construction - $ 60 million - was allocated by the owner of the largest auto insurance company in the United States, Peter B. Lewis. The library will be named after him.
The complex, reaching a height of five floors, consists of a main tower volume and two wings. The lower levels will be occupied by the book depository, while the classrooms will be located on the upper floors. Concrete, brick and steel surfaces are the defining elements of the interior design, but the most striking feature of the solution is the huge curved stainless steel panels that cover the outer walls and the roof of the building.
