[3] The building's architect, Paul Thiry who also designed the Century 21 Exposition complex in Seattle, used Modern design incorporating the Wilkeson sandstone[4] quarried a few tens of miles away and used in the state capitol and other buildings.

[5] It was described as "among the most important regional archetypes of mid-century architectural design and thought...a textbook on how Washingtonians looked at the future in the 1950s".

After the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, the damaged state capitol building was evacuated,[7] and the library collection and staff were moved out; Pritchard building's main floor became the chamber of the Washington State Senate,[8] and parts were used for other activities.

[11] The pieces placed at the library immediately after construction included Du Pen Fountain, a sundial by John W. Elliott, a mosaic by James FitzGerald, photographs by Bob and Ira Spring, and murals by Kenneth Callahan and Mark Tobey.

[14] The Tobey was moved to Tacoma Art Museum in 2003,[9] but returned to the Pritchard Building in 2008.