On October 3, 2003, the Liberty Bell Center, the new home of the Liberty Bell, was opened to the public. The building, designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, is one of the highlights of Philadelphia's reconfigured Independence Mall. This book offers a close look at the building. It presents an extensive set of reproductions and photographs, including records of the design and building process, that thoroughly document the building and its surroundings. The book also features essays that flesh out the building's rich context and its historical background. They include insiders' accounts of the design process as well as critical maps of the constellation of forces that come into play in shaping a building of this significance and quality. ILLUSTRATIONS: 164 colour & 110 b/w photographs & 150 illustrations