Geisel Library
28 october, 2026. words by GONZALO VIEDMA. photography by erik jepsen. Piece with artist magazine.
The Geisel Library is an iconic brutalist architecture building located on the campus of the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), in La Jolla, United States.
Personally, I’ve declared myself a lover of brutalism since I discovered it, so the Geisel Library “comes in handy” to be the second chapter of Pages & Pillars. I’m very drawn to how brutalism always stands out, it always creates a direct impact on the observer. Plus, in this chapter I have the collaboration of a photographer, the great Erik Jepsen, and photos that we’re going to see here for the first time, something that makes it even more special.
This beautiful building is located at the University of California, San Diego, USA. And it was designed by the architect William L. Pereira.
It opened its doors in September 1970 and its construction began in 1968.
It is 33.5 meters tall and has 8 floors (6 above ground level and 2 underground).
It has a striking inverted pyramid shape supported by 16 reinforced concrete pillars and large glass walls, which makes its silhouette simulate hands holding a stack of books, something that seems brilliant to me for a library, it’s clear that good old William outdid himself.
Initially called the Central Library, it was renamed Geisel in 1995 in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel (known worldwide as Dr. Seuss) after a million-dollar donation.
Inside this wonderful library we can find more than 7 million materials and printed volumes.
It also houses the Mandeville Special Collections, which includes nearly 8,500 documents, drawings, and drafts by the children’s literature author Dr. Seuss.
At the main entrance there is a bronze statue of the famous character The Cat in the Hat. Near the building, the artistic pedestrian path known as the Snake Path also stands out.
Honestly, I hope to be able to visit it someday, I can already imagine myself inside reading a good book, having a coffee while I observe the building from outside, something magical. How lucky are those who live nearby, the students on campus and the visitors who have already been able to be there. If there is something more beautiful than reading a good book, it is without a doubt reading it in a place as special as this, and if possible while it’s raining outside, I love that feeling of being sheltered, in a pleasant place while I can read or research those Dr. Seuss drawings.
Since for me there is nothing above art, and as those who know me well know, I have no choice but to recommend a good book related to it. This is for two reasons: because I know well that whoever has made it this far loves art too, and secondly for the artists who read me, these books that I recommend will always make you better artists, and help you understand this world much better.
The book I recommend today is: Concerning the Spiritual in Art, by Wassily Kandinsky.
If you’re interested in understanding why certain colors and shapes move us directly before thought intervenes (and why abstract art is not “decorative chaos” but an inner necessity), Kandinsky’s book is, basically, the founding manifesto of abstract painting.
I recommend it because it “sharpens your inner ear”: after reading it, you stop seeing colors as pigments on a canvas and start perceiving them as vibrations of the soul.
– For creators: It gives you a criterion for choosing color and form based on their psychological effect, not on the appearance of the object. You stop painting “what you see” and start composing “what you need to express,” understanding that yellow and blue are not just two colors, but two opposite directions of energy.
– For observers: It allows you to articulate why a painting produces calm, tension, or elevation in you. Kandinsky teaches you that color is a “keyboard” and the soul a “piano with many strings”; the artist is the hand that makes the right string vibrate.
Special thanks to Erik Jepsen for the photographs.
Erik Jepsen is an award-winning American photographer based in San Diego, California, known primarily for his work as the official photographer of the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego).
Profile and Career
• UC San Diego Photographer: He has captured university life, research, sports, and campus landscapes for more than a decade. He is also an alumnus of the institution itself, where he graduated in 2010.
• Notable portraits: He has photographed world leaders and high-profile personalities who have visited the campus, including the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton.
• Awards: His work has received international recognition, notably the prestigious CASE Circle of Excellence award as Photographer of the Year in 2013.
Piece with Artist MAGAZINE © october 2026
@piecewithartist
@erikjepsen
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