The Los Angeles Public Library is marking its centennial with an ambitious artistic installation: the world's largest pop-up book. Created for the Richard J. Riordan Central Library, the work transforms the building's historic rotunda into a large-scale celebration of reading, memory, and imagination.
Commissioned by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, the project was designed by Los Angeles artist and printmaker Daniel González with paper engineer Matthew Reinhart. Titled "Luceros y Penumbres", it pays tribute to the city's cultural diversity and the library's role as a place of shared knowledge.
When fully opened, the book measures about 31 by 20 feet, stands more than 11 feet tall, and weighs nearly a ton. Built with familiar bookmaking materials such as paper, fabric, and adhesive, it also surpasses the previous Guinness World Record for the largest pop-up book.
The installation includes two major spreads: one featuring a tree set against the Los Angeles skyline, and another highlighting the library's façade with the phrase, "Each person is a library." The work is displayed alongside selections from the Toy Moveable Collection, which holds more than 2,000 pop-up books and objects.
By merging craftsmanship, public space, and storytelling, the project shows how libraries can continue to evolve as cultural landmarks for new generations. It offers a vivid glimpse into how art and learning may shape the future of civic spaces.
