San Antonio’s main library, opened in the mid-1990s at a cost of $38 million, has a number of important holdings, including the Latino Collection and Resource Center. It is perhaps most notable for its architecture, a wildly colorful and whimsical public space designed by Ricardo Legorreta, renowned for his buildings throughout Mexico. People apparently love to enter this space—by the second month after the library opened, circulation had gone up 95 percent. The boxy building, painted what has been called “enchilada red,” is designed like a hacienda around an internal courtyard. A variety of skylights, windows, and wall colors (including bright purples and yellows) afford a different perspective from each of the six floors.