San Antonio – For 30 years, the San Antonio Central Library has stood out against the city skyline, cloaked in a distinct shade of red — Enchilada Red.
The library opened its doors on May 20, 1995. It was designed by Mexican architect Ricardo Legoretta, whose buildings, according to Scott Williams, spokesman for the San Antonio Public Library, “are known to draw on Mexican heritage and the natural kind of colors and themes of Mexico.”
“So he selected the color, and he was very intentional about the way that color impacted your experience being in this building,” Williams said. “He wanted people to be kind of bathed and absorbed in color on the outside, on the inside. And, of course, we wanted it to really stand out on the San Antonio skyline.”
It definitely stood out to San Antonians. The color choice was “kind of divisive” at the time, Williams said, and the San Antonio Express News ran a contest to name the color.
Helped by some of his team, Legorreta selected “Enchilada Red” out of nearly 1,000 name suggestions sent to the paper, according to a Feb. 12, 1995, Express-News article.
“That one is very good — the one (name) that accomplishes almost everything because it has a sense of humor. This is the one,” the paper quoted Legoretta as saying of “Enchilada Red.”
There was humor in some of the other possibilities the paper listed, too:
Liberry Red
San Antonio Red
San Antonio Rose
Burning Desire
Red Rising River
Rusty Chevy
Adobe Rose
Salsa
Hot Tamale
Paprika
Chile Pepper Red
Cream of Tomato Soup
Red All About It
Prose Rose
Well-Read Red
Literary Blaze
Don’t-Look-At-It-With-A-Hangover Red
Shake-Me, Wake-Me, I-Lay-In-The-Sun-Too-Long-And-It-Baked-Me Red
However, not all of the name suggestions were complimentary:
Red Eyesore
Chile Upchuck
Truly Repulsive Red
Bleeding-Heart Liberal Red
Dried Blood of Taxpayers Squeezed Till They Bleed (Red)
Legoretta told the paper it was the first time he had used that particular shade of red, which the Express-News reported had been inspired by a paint company color chip called “Hot Pepper.”
“We did this especially for the library,” he said at the time.
While it may have been divisive at the time, it’s now a San Antonio staple.
“I would pass by on the bus every day to school, and I’d be like, ‘man, look at that. That’s like art, man,’” said Santos Camacho during a visit to the library.
The City of San Antonio repaints the library roughly very five to 10 years, Williams said, with the paint precisely matched to the traditional color.
“I don’t think it would be the same if it was green or blue or tan, so we’ve got to keep the Enchilada Red, and the people of San Antonio love it,” Williams said.
The city is celebrating the library’s birthday at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 31. You can find more details here.
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