Bookmarked
While it is not open to the public, researchers can make special arrangements to get access to the library.
Written by Joan Tapper | Photography by Sara Prince
When Appleton Partners relocated its architectural offices to the 900 block of Chapala Street a couple of years ago, it embraced a chapter of Santa Barbara history: The two adobe buildings there had been administrative headquarters for Hollister Ranch, and one still contained an impressive vintage safe. The smaller structure—just 14 feet wide—has now been transformed into a library for the 3,000 carefully curated architecture, design, and landscape books collected by firm founder Marc Appleton, including rare and out-of-print works and volumes on Spanish Colonial style.
“The books still need cataloguing,” says Appleton, “but eventually we want to turn it into a working library accessible to the public and the design community.” appleton-architects.com.
