From converted monasteries to redwood forested reading rooms, the most beautiful libraries are for truly ones for the books. The most beautiful libraries have long been more than places to check out books, though some make a particularly compelling case for lingering. As a demand for third places to gather outside of home or work continues to grow, libraries are having a moment as prime spots for idling, browsing, and simply taking a break from the bustle beyond of their opulent doors.
Libraries have taken on an array of forms around the world, as reading rooms that have been tucked into former monasteries, designed as futuristic cultural hubs, and constructed in the heart of the California redwoods. While the books are still the main attraction, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be surrounded by ornate frescoes or unexpected nooks that make you want to stay a while longer.
From Colombia to Qatar, these 11 libraries are worth building into your next trip, whether you are architecture-obsessed or longing to sit down in a picturesque setting with a new read. This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Inspired by natural geological patterns, the entire first floor of the Tama Art University Library follows a gentle slope, allowing it to match the inclined path it’s built upon.
Its structural arches made of steel and concrete
Its structural arches made of steel and concrete are a melange of heights and lengths, emphasizing the stark, cavelike perspective created by the rising floor. The library holds over 124,000 volumes in its free flowing interior space. AUSTRIA – JANUARY 01: Admont, Styria: Benedictine monastery. Large ceremonial room of the monastery library. Founded 1074, build by J. G. Hayberger (started around 1742) and J.
Hueber. Photography. (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [Admont, St: Benediktiner-Stift. Prunksaal der Stiftsbibliothek. Von J. G. Hayberger 1742 begonnen, von J. Hueber zu Ende gefuehrt. Stift 1074 gegruendet. Photographie.] Boston, Massachusetts, USA – July 20, 2022: Ornate interior steps and entrance of the historic Renaissance style architecture of the Boston public library in the Back Bay District neighbourhood of downtown Boston Massachusetts USA National Library, Doha, Qatar The striking, geometric exterior of Royal Danish Library’s waterfront extension (better known as the Black Diamond) gives a modernist impression, but the treasures inside are anything but.
The eight-story building’s special collection offers Hans Christian Andersen’s diary, a Gutenberg Bible, and much more. Once inside, find a massive atrium flooding the space with natural light, curving around the building like a giant guitar when viewed from above. Virgilio Barco Library in Bogotá, architectural symbol of the city August 11, 2021 Aptly nicknamed “the Eye” after its central spherical auditorium, the futuristic Tianjin Binhai Library was designed by Dutch firm MVRDV and completed in an astonishing three years.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with a capacity of over one
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with a capacity of over one million books encircle the building, but before you get too impressed, know that the very top shelves are inaccessible. Instead, they’re lined with perforated aluminum plates printed to look like real books, creating the illusion of a library that stretches endlessly upward. MILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 29: A view of the Mill Valley Public Library is seen in Mill Valley Calif., on Wednesday, Sept.
29, 2021. The library was built in 1966 and is nestled in a grove of redwood trees. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group) At the heart of Rio lies the spectacular Royal Portuguese Reading Room, founded in 1837. Its ornate Gothic-meets-Renaissance exterior was designed to mirror the Jerónimo Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal. However, the star of the show are the vivid greens, reds, and blues of the stained glass dome and iron skylight, illuminating the nearly 350,000 volumes encased in dark wooden bookshelves.
The library holds the largest collection of Portuguese works outside of Portugal. The ancient Library of Alexandria is known today for being the Western world’s premier learning center, before gradually dwindling into obscurity. Officially inaugurated in 2002, Bibliotheca Alexandrina commemorates its forerunner with a cylindrical shape facing the Mediterranean Sea to represent the cycles of knowledge.
Its Egyptian granite façade is carved with 4,000
Its Egyptian granite façade is carved with 4,000 characters from writing systems around the world, such as alphabets, symbols, musical notation, and even Braille. You could come to Trinity College Library to see Ireland’s famed Book of Kells, the ninth-century illuminated manuscript containing the four Gospels of the New Testament, but the real showstopper awaits you upstairs.
The library’s Long Room stretches nearly 200 feet beneath a vaulted ceiling, with towering shelves stacked with 200,000 of Trinity’s oldest books. Marble busts line the room while the Brian Boru harp, one of Ireland’s national symbols, sits among them.
Source: www.cntraveler.com
