Strange Buildings

Location: San Diego, USA

Date: 1960s

Architect: William Pereira

Purpose: library

Rating: (118 votes, average: 3.25 out of 5)

More info: The Geisel Library is the main library building on the University of California, San Diego campus and contains four of the nine libraries located on campus. The building is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss) for the generous contributions they have made to the library and their devotion to improving literacy.

One unusual feature of the library is that the lower levels are numbered 1 and 2, and the upper floors numbered 4 through 8. This has given rise to several fanciful explanations for why the third floor is apparently sealed off and not accessible from elevators or steps. One of the more popular stories is that the building’s design had not taken into account the eventual weight of books in the library, so the third floor has of necessity been left empty. This is a common urban legend, associated at different times with many other university libraries. In reality, the “missing” third floor is actually the open/outside forum. There is no other third floor, blocked off or otherwise. It is simply reinforced concrete and an emergency exit that helps students from the 4-8 floors get out without having to go to the second floor.

(Image credits: 1: kafka4prez,2: San Diego Shooter 3:ladyiconoclast)