Los Angeles Central Library Displays World’s Largest Pop-Up Book

Overview

• Artist Daniel González worked with paper engineer Matthew Reinhart on Luceros y Penumbres, a commissioned centennial piece that organizers say opens to about 31 by 20 feet, rises more than 11 feet, and weighs nearly a ton.
• Organizers reported the project surpassed the previous Guinness World Record for largest pop-up book and coverage says Guinness has officially recognized it as the new record-holder.
• The structure is built from conventional bookmaking materials—paper, fabric, and adhesive—and its two giant spreads require multiple people to operate, adapting small-scale paper engineering to monumental form.
• The installation sits in the Richard J. Riordan Central Library rotunda next to Dean Cornwell’s murals and is displayed with items from the library’s Toy Moveable Collection so visitors can see the work in person.
• Imagery in the book draws on González’s memories of Los Angeles and includes bilingual text and civic motifs, a public-facing work that highlights the library’s cultural role and may boost interest in its centennial programs and movable-book archive.