Johnson Favaro seems to be the go-to architectural firm for libraries in Los Angeles. Having also built libraries in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, now they've been tapped design the new $17-million City of Manhattan Beach Branch of the Los Angeles County Library. The two-story, 20,000-square-foot facility will replace the existing one-story, 12,500-square-foot building located in downtown Manhattan Beach.

According to the Daily Breeze, early design renderings call for a two-story complex built primarily of glass and steel. Floor-to-ceiling windows will allow for sweeping ocean views. Construction is expected to begin in December 2012.

Established in 1989, Johnson Favaro has completed more than $300 million worth of construction projects and scores of plans and studies for institutions of higher education, local governments and communities in Southern California.