By BVS Staff
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Libraries are some of the mostcomplete and incredible tributes to human knowledge imaginable, and with theirrange of resources, they’re invaluable when it comes to studying. However,reading up on a topic of choice needn’t be done in a bland and boring building,as the following institutions demonstrate. And while it’s the books andfacilities that make a library, being in lovely surroundings may provideinspiration and help you to work that little bit harder. Whether they featuresleek, eye-catching architecture or extravagant interiors, the 50 libraries onthis list are the most beautiful in the world.
50. Macquarie University Library – Sydney, Australia
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The library at Macquarie University in Northern Sydney, Australia haspioneering technology to match its cutting-edge design. It is home to the firstAutomated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) in any college in the country;this uses robot cranes to pick up books and convey them to the front desk. Forthe building’s eye-catching look, architecture firm Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, which has offices in Australia andEngland, took its cues from the surrounding landscape – in particular aeucalyptus forest that graces the campus. Flora also makes an appearance on thegreen roof, which incorporates planted areas and grass; meanwhile, wells areused to flood the bottom floors with daylight. The stunning building – whichwas constructed using recycled materials – opened its doors in 2011 andcontains more than 1.8 million electronic and print items.
49. National Library of Brazil – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Approximately nine million items arecontained in the National Library of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. Ranking seventhin size amongst all other libraries around the world, it features a19th-century collection of tens of thousands of photographs that, due to theirsignificance, are on the register of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.The fantastically ornate building has its origins in an earthquake that tookplace in Lisbon in 1755, which led to a lot of the collections contained withinthe Portuguese city’s Royal Library being transported all the way to Brazil.The South American facility was founded in 1810, but its current incarnation –which showcases elements of the neoclassical and Art Nouveau styles – wasinaugurated exactly a century later.
48. UNAM Central Library – Mexico City, Mexico
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The splendid Central Library is arguably the jewel in the crownof the Ciudad Universitaria campus at the National Autonomous Universityof Mexico in Mexico City. Completed in 1952, the building – designed by GustavoSaavedra and Juan Martínez de Velasco – holds approximately 400,000 books.However, it is perhaps best known for its exterior murals, which were craftedby Mexican architect and painter Juan O’Gorman and cover the ten-story buildingin a mosaic that recounts the history of the country. Perhaps surprisingly,none of the murals are painted; O’Gorman journeyed through Mexico to find thebrightly colored stones of which they’re made.
47. Old Library, Trinity College Library Dublin – Dublin, Ireland
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A place that holds the Book of Kells– the splendidly embellished Gospel volume that dates back to the early 9thcentury – is special just for that fact, but the Old Library at Trinity College Library Dublin would be a wonder regardless. ItsLong Room contains 200,000 of the most aged books in the library’s collection.Originally completed around 1733 by Irish architect and engineer Thomas Burgh,the 213-foot-long chamber boasts carved, dark wooden features and a handsome,barrel-like ceiling. The marble busts of writers, philosophers and collegebackers that line the space are also a major attraction.
46. Peckham Library – London, U.K.
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The London district of Peckhamreceived a colorful new feature in 2000 with the arrival of its public library. The now-separated Anglo-German architecturalpractice Alsop and Störmer rose to the challenge of the structure’s brief,which called for “a thoroughly modern building that is ahead of its time” andwhich would give the area a “psychological boost.” The library has provenpopular with Peckham residents, but its striking mix of primary-hued glass,copper, and steel weave apparently appealed to those in the know, too, as itwas awarded the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize for architectural excellence inthe same year it opened, with competition judges stating, “This is a buildingto make you smile: more architecture should do that.”
45. George Peabody Library, Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore,Maryland, USA
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Even if students at Johns Hopkins University are struggling to cram for theirmidterms, at least they have a grand, spacious Greek Revival-style library inwhich to work – and its collection of 300,000 volumes, many from the 19thcentury, probably helps too. The building – finished in 1878 – was the work oflocal architect Edmund G. Lind, who created what has been termed a “cathedralof books” for the college. The library’s atrium rises 61 feet into the air,peaking with a latticed skylight at the top, while columns featuring goldscalloping together with tiered, cast-iron balconies add highly attractivedecorative embellishments.
44. Library of Birmingham – Birmingham, U.K.
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The new Library of Birmingham is said to be not only Britain’sbiggest public library, but also the largest regional facility of its kind inthe whole of Europe. Its dazzling silver, glass and gold exterior featuresinterlocking metal rings and was designed by Dutch architects Mecanoo to pay tribute to the English city’s Jewelry Quarter.The postmodern-style replacement for the Birmingham Central Library was openedin 2013 and has a wealth of resources within its walls, including adult andkids’ libraries, music collections, a Shakespeare Memorial Room, and even ahealth facility. Gardens crown the roof, while the changing seasons bringvariations in the shadows and reflections inside.
43. Royal Portuguese Reading Room – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
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Studying can be done in considerablestyle at the Royal Portuguese Reading Room in Rio de Janeiro. With its gorgeousmulticolored skylight and lovely balustrades, the richly decoratedNeo-Manueline interior would be a delight to experience even if it didn’t holdthe biggest and most valuable collection of Portuguese literature outside ofPortugal itself. There are over 350,000 volumes within the library, andincluded in its collection are rare books from centuries past. The facility wasfinished in 1887, and one of its focal points is the Altar da Pátria, which isa stunning masterpiece made from marble, ivory and silver commemorating thePortuguese Discoveries that took place during the 1400s and 1500s.
42. Brandenburg University of Technology Library – Cottbus, Germany
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Herzog & de Meuron achieved international recognitionwith their famed design for the Tate Modern in London, and the Swiss firmexcelled again with the conception of the library at BrandenburgUniversity of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. Rather fittingly for a buildingthat houses many words, its skin is covered with myriad lettering in variousalphabets and languages. Inside, it’s considerably more vibrant, with storagespaces, ceilings and shelves that are almost kaleidoscopic in their hues. Thestructure, which was completed in 2004, stands at just under 105 feet in heightand features seven levels above ground plus two below.
41. Austrian National Library – Vienna, Austria
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The Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austriawas once the residence of emperors and kings, but today, in addition to beingthe official home of the country’s president, it plays host to an amazing 7.4million items in the AustrianNational Library. The original royal collection found a permanent abodein the palace when the Court Library was constructed between the years 1723 and1735, first under the direction of architect Johann Bernhard Fischer vonErlach, and with the building work later overseen by his son Johann EmanuelFischer von Erlach. One of the Austrian National Library’s most jaw-droppingfeatures is the huge fresco on the ceiling, which was created by painter DanielGran. The dome is also decorated with statues by sculptor Paul Strudel that paytribute to the Habsburg rulers.
40. Vennesla Library and Culture House – Vennesla, Norway
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Situated in the municipality ofVennesla in Norway, the sleek-looking structure pictured above houses not onlya public library, but also meeting spaces, administrative areas and acafeteria. It was conceived by Norwegian firm Helen & Hard, which employed an innovative “rib” configuration in thedesign of the library itself. Twenty-seven ribs, made from timber and plywood,are incorporated into the facility, with each one featuring built-in shelvesand reading nooks. What’s more, the finished article is not just beautiful buteco-conscious, too, with sustainable elements that include vertical sun shadingand the admission of plenty of daylight. Finished in 2011, the library washonored the following year with the country’s Statens Byggeskikkpris award forthe best national building.
39. Clementinum National Library – Prague, Czech Republic
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The Clementinum has been described as “the Baroque pearl of Prague,” andthis is surely due at least in part to the richly adorned interior of itslibrary, with its touches of gold and stunning spiral pillars. The facility,which was built in 1722, now serves as the National Library of the CzechRepublic and is graced with a ceiling adornment by Jan Hiebl that celebratesancient learning and wisdom. Meanwhile, some of the tomes contained within dateall the way back to the Jesuit era. The historic complex, which was originallya major Jesuit college, was included in the UNESCO Memory of the WorldProgramme in 2005.
38. University of Aberdeen Library – Aberdeen, U.K.
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The bold, zebra-like stripes thatadorn the University of Aberdeen’s library building are the work ofinternational Danish architecture firm schmidt hammerlassen. One of its principals, Morten Schmidt, has poetically said of its uniqueexterior, “[It] will shimmer during the day and glows softly at night,” and hedescribed it as a “beacon” for the Scottish city. This innovative building wona National Award from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2013, aswell as concurrent recognition from the World Architecture Festival, where itmade the shortlist in the Civic and Community division. It became the firstmajor construction to be completed in Aberdeen for 25 years and opened tostudents and staff in 2011.
37. National Library of France – Paris, France
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The National Library of France has mushroomed in recent years,thanks to an expansion and partial move to newly completed premises in 1996.However, the origins of the institution – which now contains an astonishing 30million items – date back to the 14th century and the royal library establishedat the Louvre by King Charles V. The library relocated to its still operatingRue de Richelieu site in 1868, with major design work carried out by Frencharchitects Henri Labrouste and, following his death, Jean-Louis Pascal. Here,the circular reading rooms are elegance itself, with the Salle de Travailfeaturing nine domes sitting on columns said to echo Ottoman architecture.There are more than just books to be found there, too: the chess set of the9th-century King Charlemagne is one of the library’s more unique pieces.
36. Kanazawa Umimirai Library – Kanazawa, Japan
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Japanese architecture firm Coelacanth K&H designed a library that is said tobring the outdoors indoors through its open feel and sylvan sensibility. TheKanazawa Umimirai Library building, which was completed in 2011, is enclosed bya white “punching wall.” The wall is replete with 6,000 little holes that letin a soothing light and is also designed to help distribute seismic force incase of earthquakes. Floor heating and cooling has been incorporated for thepublic’s comfort, while the roof’s openings provide natural aeration to helpmake it more pleasant in the summertime. The awesome-looking structure washonored with the Chubu Architecture Award in 2012.
35. University of California San Diego Geisel Library – San Diego,California, USA
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The Geisel Library at the University of California San Diego takes its namefrom the celebrated writer Theodor Seuss Geisel – better known as Dr.Seuss – and his wife Audrey. The literary pair was honored in this way forcontributions to the library and their commitment to bettering literacy. Theeight-story, 110-foot structure is an arresting example of the brutalist styleand was designed towards the end of the 1960s by notable future-focusedAmerican architect William Pereira. Urban legends related to the buildingabound, one of which states that the library is sinking as a result of itscontents, although this has been categorically denied by the facility’s staff.
34. Iowa State Capitol Law Library – Des Moines, Iowa
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Iowa’s StateCapitol Law Library at Des Moines is one beautiful building in which wewouldn’t mind getting lost. The splendid space, which was fashioned in theRenaissance style in the 1880s, connects its five levels with elaboratelydetailed cast-iron spiral stairs and features interiors in chestnut and ashwoods. Its marble flooring and walls, chandeliers, periodicals, case bookmaterials and stacks of bookcases – through which one can browse the library’scollection of treatises – collectively create an atmosphere of learnedopulence. American architects John C. Cochrane and Alfred H.Piquenard were responsible for its design as well as that of the rest ofthe State Capitol.
33. Library of Parliament – Ottawa, Canada
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Since 1876, The Parliament of Canadahas had a suitably grand building in which to store its resources. Theattractive, elaborate Victorian High Gothic structure of Ottawa’s Library of Parliament owes its design to Canadian architects Chilion Jones andThomas Fuller. Its multicolored appearance – referred to as structuralpolychromy – is down to a mix of materials, including green and purple bands ofslate and red Potsdam sandstone. The three-tiered roof crowned with a cupolaadds to the majestic effect; and so too do the stone carvings in friezes andfloral motifs on the exterior, as well as the 16 flying buttresses.
32. Los Angeles Public Library – Los Angeles, California
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The interior of the Los Angeles Public Library is truly awe-inspiring, thanks in nosmall part to Dean Cornwell’s colorful lobby mural, which represents thehistory of California in four sections and was completed in the early 1930s.The original building, opened in 1926, was designed by distinguished Neo-Gothicarchitect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, who chose to imbue the work with ancientEgyptian-influenced elements such as the mosaic pyramid at the top along withMediterranean Revival-style features. However, a renovation and expansion inthe late 1980s and early 1990s also gave it a Modernist/Beaux-Arts look.
31. Vancouver Public Library – Vancouver, Canada
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The seven-story Vancouver Public Library brings a little bit of Rome into theCanadian city, as it bears more than a passing likeness to the famousColosseum. The structure – completed in 1995 – was built out of precastconcrete in a reddish, sandstone-like hue, and the Italian theme continues withits surroundings, which comprise a piazza area around the building.International firm Safdie Architects and local practice DA Architects can take credit for the attention-grabbing design, aswell as that of the Federal Office Tower and commercial resources that, alongwith the Public Library, make up Library Square in Vancouver.
30. Bodleian Library – Oxford, U.K.
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The English city of Oxford isn’tshort of attractive buildings, but arguably one of its most appealing is theRadcliffe Camera, which initially played host to the Radcliffe Science Librarybut would later come to operate as a reading room for the Bodleian Library, one of the oldest of its kind inthe whole of Europe. The building is an exceptional piece of 18th-centuryarchitecture that was named for its benefactor, medic John Radcliffe, and wasopened over 250 years ago in 1749. Influential British architect James Gibbswas responsible for its design, which follows the English Palladian style. Thestructure itself is the oldest example of a circular library in the country.
29. Abbey Library of Saint Gall – St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Its wide-ranging collection ofmanuscripts – some of which date back to the 8th century – helps make thefacility at the Abbey of Saint Gall in St. Gallen, Switzerland one ofthe most significant monastic libraries on the planet. Along with the rest ofthe abbey, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being “a perfectexample of a great Carolingian monastery.” With its areas of magnificentlycarved wood, paint and stucco, Austrian architect Peter Thumb’s opulent Rococohall is said to be Switzerland’s superlative example of Baroque design. All ofthis makes visiting to peruse any of its 160,000-plus volumes a pleasure.
28. Cerritos Millennium Library – Cerritos, California, USA
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Cerritos’ Millennium Library is pioneering in more than one way.As well as being the USA’s first building to be covered with titanium paneling,it has also been termed the first “Experience Library,” because the facilityputs a spotlight on fascinating themed areas, stunning art and interestingarchitecture. There is a children’s library that incorporates a marine aquariumwith coral and sharks, while for the more grown-up scholar, the Old WorldReading Room is inspired by 19th-century European design and is outfitted withchandeliers and a fireplace. Californian architects Charles Walton Associates were responsible for the sleek andshining addition to the city, and the building was finished in 2002.
27. Harold Washington Library Center – Chicago, Illinois
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While it may be a bit of aneye-catcher, the giant, ten-story public HaroldWashington Library Center in Chicago was sympathetically designed by localarchitects Hammond, Beeby and Babka – now HBRA Architects – to echo the sensibility of other buildings in thecity, like the 19th-century Rookery. The local firm combined Beaux-Artsfeatures such as the building’s granite bottom and attractive red brick,although its decorative elements are more Mannerist in style. The libraryitself was completed in 1991, but two years later it was given anotherarresting feature through its Kent Bloomer-designed aluminum acroteria –figures of wise owls and seed pods, the latter a nod to the Midwest’sagricultural tradition.
26. University of Coimbra General Library – Coimbra, Portugal
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Gilded finishes are plentiful in thebeautiful, Baroque Joanina Library, which is part of the University of Coimbra General Library in Coimbra, Portugal and wascompleted in 1728. Its three rooms – which contain 70,000 older volumes stackedover two stories – are divided by elaborate archways, while the hard oak usedfor the shelving inside should keep it free from insect infestation. Otheranimal residents seem to be assisting with this potential problem, too: a campof bats roosting inside the walls emerges at night to gobble up insects thatmight be prone to gorging on the volumes. And elsewhere, heavy walls and doorsmade of teak help to keep heat and humidity to a minimum, further preservingthe cherished library’s treasures.
