The Burton Barr Central Library held its annual celebration of the summer solstice Thursday, welcoming spectators to see unique features of the top floor revealed by the sun only once a year.
On the first day of summer, at solar noon, the roof appeared to float above the library's Great Reading Room while sunlight illuminated the tops of the support columns through circular skylights. After the sun passed overhead, shadows climbed the east wall like a reverse waterfall.
Watch a time lapse of the effect — and listen to the building's architect Will Bruder talk about the role of architecture in sustainability, especially in the desert — in the video below.
