Burton Barr Central Library

Phoenix [1] embarked on a cultural renaissance in 1988, when voters approved an ambitious, architecturally daring series of public works projects that included the Phoenix Art Museum [2] and Burton Barr Central Library (1221 N. Central Ave., 602/262-4636, www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org [3], 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Fri.–Sat., noon–6 p.m. Sun.).

The iconic building’s rectangular, rusted-steel facade resembles a red-hued mesa. Phoenix architect Will Bruder, a pioneer in the region’s Desert Modernism movement, gracefully incorporated natural daylight throughout the design, including a glass-and-steel central stairwell and elevator atrium, called the “Crystal Canyon.”

On the equinox, the sun shines directly through overhead skylights in the fifth-floor reading room, lighting its graceful, white columns and creating a stunning show.