History
The Tsakopoulos Library Galleria was constructed between 1988 and 1992 during a major expansion and renovation of the Central Library. The Library’s original Italian Renaissance-style building opened in 1918 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The renovation created the immense atrium unifying the old and new sides of Library Plaza. Park Tower, the 25-story office building at the corner of 9th Street and I Street, was also constructed at this time.
The Galleria is named for developer Angelo Tsakopoulos and his family, whose generous donations helped make the space a reality. The family is known for their many charitable endeavors, which also include an endowed professorship in the Humanities at Stanford University and the Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection in the University Library at Sacramento State University, which is the largest collection of its kind in the Western United States.