Brilliant banners adorn Central

Downtown residents, workers, and visitors alike are buzzing about the brilliant new banners adorning the façade of Central Library as well as the streetlamps surrounding the building.

Central Library is one of the most beautiful buildings in all of St. Louis and is filled with treasures of knowledge to match its physical beauty. In order to express the excitement and energy of what is available inside, we chose to take a dramatic approach with banners that have a distinctly urban tone but that are also fun, bright, and thought-provoking.

Working with St. Louis design studio TOKY, the St. Louis Public Library Foundation commissioned noted artist Noah Woods to create the imagery for the banners. In addition to his work for the Library, Woods has created paintings for internationally respected clients including American Express, AT&T, Microsoft, and UNICEF. Woods was chosen for this project because his work captures the sense of urban bustle in a fun and quick manner.

This vibrant blast of color has certainly had the desired effect: namely, to draw attention to Central Library (the physical building) and challenge onlookers to think about the Library in new and exciting ways. Art evokes emotion, and as one of St. Louis’ premier cultural institutions, our goal is for residents to have a strong emotional connection to their St. Louis Public Library.

Thanks to the St. Louis Public Library Foundation, no public funds were used. The Foundation generously provided all funding for the Central Library banner project.