In addition to the book collection, the
libraries you will see below are housed in buildings with
incredible architectural designs . Each one has its own style, the buildings blend harmoniously into the
landscape and display
creative solutions to serve the community. Check out these inspiring library designs and choose your favorites to visit on your future trips!
Deichman Bjørvika | Oslo, Norway
On the edge of the city, the
Deichman Bjørvika Library in Oslo, Norway, is located next to the opera house designed by Snøhetta. However, the project for this building was designed by a partnership between
Atelier Oslo and
Lundhagem . With five floors, there is enough space for 450,000 books, which are arranged around a large, light-filled atrium that connects the floors. The idea was to create a huge building, but at the same time, one that has an intimate atmosphere so that visitors feel like they belong. The name comes from Carl Deichman, whose collection of books started the library in 1785.
The library is organized vertically, with a cinema and 200-seat auditorium in the basement and a café, restaurant and newspapers and magazines on the ground floor. The first floor houses fiction and children's books, while the second and third floors contain other subjects, as well as several enclosed areas such as recording studios, a mini cinema and games rooms. The top floor houses social science books and reading rooms, as well as the Future Library art project. Multimedia Library L'échappée | Herblay, France
(Salem Mostefaoui/CASACOR)
Large wooden beams feature prominently in the interiors of
L'échappée , a multimedia library in Herblay, France, designed by
Atelier WOA . The architects say they chose the material as an alternative to institutional public buildings, which are often cold. The site occupies a long, narrow plot of land facing a road, with a stone and glass facade that opens onto a field. To protect the library from the summer sun, Atelier WOA wrapped the top of the building in a white aluminum screen, finished with small perforations.
The library is a large space subdivided by curtains, shelving and screens to allow flexibility. A series of smaller rooms line the front of the building, while at the back the reading areas open onto a covered walkway, providing sheltered seating areas with views across a field. (Salem Mostefaoui/CASACOR)
Forest of Knowledge | Mumbai, India
Designed by Indian firm Studio Hinge , the Forest of Knowledge library sits beneath a tree-like wooden lattice roof in an art deco building in South Mumbai. The architects recreated the feeling of sitting under a tree with a book, using the structure’s concrete columns as trunks. A steel frame covered with small wooden planks clads each of these columns, which integrates with the bookshelves and extends to create arched shapes in the ceiling. Curved bookshelves are arranged in a circle at the base of each column, with seating areas at the edges of the floor to allow for a variety of different situations and atmospheres for visitors. On the library floor , custom terrazzo tiles feature a green leaf pattern with a circle of wood flooring used at the base of each column. Serpentine Bookhouse | Shenzhen, China
The
spiral shape of a seashell inspired the design of the
Serpentine Bookhouse in Shenzhen, China, designed by
Atelier Xi . Located in the Dasha River Ecological Corridor, the 300-square-meter library offers a children’s reading room, public restrooms, and a veranda with seating areas for visitors. The structure is made of steel Vierendeel trusses—a truss without diagonal elements—and tensile reinforcement. This structure allows the inner and outer edges of the spiral to be lined entirely with full-height
windows , providing expansive views of the surrounding landscape as visitors ascend the building. These windows also allow for cross-
ventilation , with solar protection provided by vertical aluminum louvers. A staircase wraps around the inner wall of the spiral, while the outer wall is lined with neatly lined bookshelves.
Sao Paulo Library | Sao Paulo, Brazil
An iconic building in the city, the
São Paulo Library , designed by the
aflalo/gasperini arquitectos firm, was built on land that for decades housed the Carandiru Prison Complex. The space is now called Parque da Juventude and the library is part of it. The building has a large area with overhead lighting and a flexible layout, allowing for a variety of activities. The
furniture features fun, colorful tones and the glass windows have playful
silkscreen prints to create a relaxed atmosphere for lovers of a good read. The place is organized as if it were a bookstore with the aim of also attracting non-readers. On the ground floor, there is the reception, collection, auditorium for 90 people and reading modules for children and teenagers. The
terrace on this floor is covered by a tensioned structure, reminiscent of nautical tents. On the upper floor, in addition to the collection, there are several reading spaces, one module restricted to adults, as well as multimedia areas. The terraces on the upper floor facing the east and west facades, which receive more sunlight, were covered by pergolas made of reforested eucalyptus and polycarbonate laminates, ensuring a pleasant space for performances and leisure.
Odong Public Library | Seongbuk, South Korea
Unsangdong Architects have created a forest library as a public refuge where people can connect with books in Odong Park in Seongbuk, South Korea. To create an open and integrated space, they designed a structure of bookshelves that take up almost the entire ceiling height. The roof with varying heights allows sunlight to enter through the openings, while the walls of bookshelves help to delimit the spaces and create a fluid path. Despite being a small library, people of different social classes and ages feel at ease in the cozy spaces. Kadokawa Culture Museum | Tokorozawa, Japan
Designed by
Kengo Kuma & Associates and
Kajima Design , the Kadokawa Cultural Museum in Japan is a five-story museum with a granite façade. The first floor houses a small library and a 1,000-square-meter gallery. The second floor houses a cafe and a shop, while the third floor is dedicated entirely to anime screenings. The biggest surprise of the place is on the fourth floor and consists of a double-height
library with eight-meter-high bookshelves, which go all the way to the ceiling, accommodating around 50,000 books.
The bookshelves combine three types of shelves with different depths so that the books can be stacked horizontally and vertically. Springvale Community Centre | Springvale, Australia
Inspired by the
immigrant journey , the design features a continuous pathway connecting all spaces with barbecue areas, benches, playgrounds, sports courts, a memorial, an Indigenous ceremonial site, a playful children’s water feature and the significant rose garden (representative of the immigrant journey in Springvale). These activated community facilities intersect with a gently sloping green area facing the café and a large urban screen for public events. Visitors are welcomed into a modern, state-of-the-art library and three large double-height spaces. The dominant colours in each space and the location of each corridor aid orientation.
Beijing Municipal Library | Beijing, China
Famed firm Snøhetta recently completed the glass-enclosed Beijing Municipal Library in China, which is lined with towering tree- like columns. The building’s design is inspired by natural landscapes and aims to help visitors connect with the outdoors by drawing them away from their screens. The heart of the library is the Valley , a 16-meter-high atrium filled with a series of hill-like landings, which are lined with tiered seating, staircases, and bookshelves. A winding walkway runs through the center. It is intended to evoke the nearby Tonghui River and serves as the library's main circulation space, connecting the north and south entrances.
Manhattan Beach Public Library | Los Angeles, United States
(Eric Staudenmaier/CASACOR)
Designed by architecture firm
HED in partnership with architect
Johnson Favaro , the
Manhattan Beach Public Library is a two-story, 25,000-square-foot building overlooking the ocean. The new two-story library replaced the previous one-story facility, with double the size and a smaller carbon footprint. The new space includes a children’s library, teen center, and community meeting room, as well as sections for adult collections, reading areas, and public access technology. Designed and built with
Leed Gold certification, the external building features a double glass wall on the facade separated by an air space that acts as insulation, improving thermal comfort inside and reducing the use of air conditioning.
(Eric Staudenmaier/CASACOR)
LocHal | Tilburg, Netherlands
The LocHal library and event space, designed by Civic Architects , occupies a glass-and-steel former locomotive shed in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The architects retained much of the structure, with its tall glass windows and imposing riveted columns, which shaped the renovated interior. Designed as contemporary reinterpretations of the original building, new solid structures made of black steel, concrete, glass and oak were combined with a series of giant movable textile screens. In addition to being a reading space, the space also functions as a meeting point for events organized by partners. To make the building as welcoming and accessible as possible, the entrance hall was created as a square covered by large reading tables. A set of wide steps can be used as seating for events.
Kafka Library | Thành phố Trà Vinh, Vietnam
(Nguyen Dao Thu Linh/CASACOR)
The
Kafka Library was built to bring books closer to the people of a small town on the outskirts of Tra Vinh, Vietnam. For this reason, the space was designed by
Basi Atelier with maximum comfort for readers, allowing everyone to experience books in their most natural habitat. With a touch of orange on the exterior, the building can be easily spotted from afar and blends in with the surrounding greenery. There are three blocks in total. The largest, where all the books are stored, is the
main reading area , which can also be used for community activities. Two smaller adjacent blocks include a pantry, kitchen, bathroom and two small rooms for anyone who wants to experience the library experience. Built with nature-friendly principles in mind, the Kafka Library has many elements created from
recycled materials . The roof tiles were collected from other buildings in the area and hand-washed with the help of volunteers, and the wooden staircase in the main block was collected from the dismantling of a nearby house. During the day, the entire library is naturally lit thanks to the transparent roof and windows on all facades. In addition, the interior climate is always cool, thanks to a lotus pond in the front courtyard and the surrounding trees.
(Nguyen Dao Thu Linh/CASACOR)
