[1] The visual conceptualization of the building was influenced by mid-century modernism and the International Style, with the exterior cladding and surface being Béton Brut; an architectural aesthetic that later became known as Brutalism or Brutalist.

[3] It was in this building that 20 gay men were arrested following a police stakeout in September 1953, an event known as the Atlanta Public Library perversion case.

[5] Breuer was unable to attend the dedication ceremonies on May 25, 1980, and he died a year later on July 1, 1981, at the age of 79.

Construction began in 1977, and when the structure was completed in 1980 it featured a 300-seat theater, six stories of library space, and a restaurant.

In an effort to mute the perceived harshness of the style, the system spent $5 million to renovate the building in 2002.

In July 2016 the Fulton County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted not to demolish the library building.

Within this renovation program, the addition of numerous large windows to the facade prompted strong criticism from preservationists and architects for its alteration of Breuer’s original design.