St. Louis Public Library

This Beaux Arts neo-Italian Renaissance masterpiece may be demure on the outside, but inside it reflects architect Cass Gilbert’s mastery of space, light and color. The Grand Hall uses massive stained glass windows to hide the light borrowed from a covered central atrium. Currently undergoing a $70 million renovation, the Library will retain its Vatican-inspired fixtures and elaborate Grand Hall ceiling. Gilbert went on to design the Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park.