Library Love - LBJ's Presidential Library in Austin,Tx
I was excited to learn that Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidential Library was located in Austin, Tx. When pre-planning for our short trip to Austin, this was one of two places on the must-visit list. Of course, the modern architecture style of the library was a draw for me, too!
The library is an unadorned 10-story building clad in cream Italian travertine. It was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architects Gordon Bunshaft and R. Max Brooks
It features a Great Hall with a stunning four-story, glass-encased view of the archives collection. A centerpiece in the Great Hall of the LBJ Library is the photo-engraving mural by artist Naomi Savage.
The design was completed in the summer of 1966 and construction began in 1967. The Library was dedicated on May 22, 1971.
The historical exhibits were engaging and informative. I enjoyed viewing the office replicas for both LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson.
A long, low building also by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill is part of the library complex.
A sculpture weighing 18 tons, of an exact copy of the colossal head discovered at the Olmec site of San Lorenzo, Veracruz, Mexico is sited near the parking lot entryway of this building. The original is a landmark work of art of the Olmec culture that flourished in southern Mexico 1500-400 BCE.
The Universidad Veracruzana presented the replica as a gift to the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin Studies in 2008 in recognition of the close ties between the peoples of the United States and Mexico.
There’s a nice shaded area across the way where you can sit and take in the library and fountain view. I noticed someone lunching at one of the picnic tables doing just that!
