The 13 most interesting libraries in the world

Do you still go to the library now?

For a long time, the library has always given people a rigid image, huge and cold, administrators often engage in unchanging work, ease and lack of change. However, with the strong impact of information channels and technology, the old order of the library is being dissolved. Looking for a corner to read a book, self-study, flip through newspapers and magazines, in addition to these, what else can the library do? Maybe we can find the answers from the libraries below.

The following are the 13 most worthwhile libraries to look at.

Tainan Public Library, Taiwan

The design of the new Tainan Public Library comes from the Dutch office Mecanoo Architecten. What makes the whole project special is its transparent canopy-style, transparent appearance that provides a shade for the central courtyard. The building houses a reading room, a collection room, a study area, a children's play area, a cafe, a conference hall, a 200-seat auditorium and a public courtyard.

The spacious open space layout ensures that the library can adapt to future development needs and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Sanlian Bookstore Seaside Public Welfare Library, Beidaihe

Architect Dong Gong wants to establish a spiritual connection between man and sea through this space. It consists of a main reading space, a meditation space, an activity room and a small water bar rest space. The difference in spatial functional requirements is to set the specific relationship between space and sea to define the way light and wind enter the space."

But unfortunately, in the end, it is based on the number of tourists to determine the way light and wind enter the space.

Wennesla Library and Cultural Center, Norway

In 2011, Norwegian design firm Helen & Hard completed this unique ribbed library design. Although the appearance of the pine heartwood looks very eye-catching, the ingenuity is hidden indoors. The 27 prefabricated timber beams extend from the ceiling to the ground, defining the space. The designer hopes that such a striking structure will allow readers in the room to feel the meaning of time travel.

Modern Card Member Music Library, Korea

We introduced this library in detail last September and it is a free leisure space created by Korea Hyundai Group for its credit card members. Cardholders can come here for free to listen to albums, parties, and two non-members. This is a music-themed space with records, stage performances, drinks, and even three recording studios.

It is a new breakthrough in the library, with 10,000 vinyl records, 3,000 of which are rare. In order to collect these vinyls, they traveled to 11 countries in 2 years. Here, you can also find all the Rolling Stone magazines from 1967 to the present.

Birmingham Library, UK

The designer of this work is Mecanoo Architecten, the design party of the Tainan Public Library mentioned above. The Birmingham Library is also Europe's largest public library, built in the 1960s and has a heavy image that is unique to concrete buildings. After the renovation, it turned into a transparent glass building with a circular patio in the center of the library, with elevators and escalators placed around this public space. The roof terrace was designed as a roof garden and became a large balcony in the city.

Weston Library, UK

The Wilkinson Eyre office in the UK transformed the Oxford University Bodleian Library, designed by architect Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1930s. The new building was named the Weston Library. Designed to respect the legacy of the old building, the design focuses on three things: providing high-quality storage for library collections, including rare handbooks, books and maps; providing space for research activities; Pavilions and other facilities make the public more accessible. The design team retained the narrow vertical windows of the original building and also paid tribute to the original Giles Gilbert Scott.

Dokk1 Library, Denmark

The Dokk1 library in Aarhus, Denmark, is the largest library in Northern Europe, with a library, civic service centre, parking lot and public plaza. The design is Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.

The entire building is shaped like a cutting polygon floating on a stairway, 360 degrees without dead ends facing the city, waters and forests, and the port industrialization style is coordinated, there is no strict front and back. The building's atrium space is designed with a five-story large platform to enable visual interaction between the various functions within.

Stormen Konserthus, Norway

The Norwegian city of Hakata was seriously damaged during World War II. In a new wave of reconstruction in the city in recent years, Stormen Konserthus, designed by British architect DRDH, is the iconic building in the heart of the city. It is a combination of a library and a concert hall. Although the design language is different from most local architecture, the designer still tries to integrate concrete and local wood into the urban landscape. The library is designed for landing large windows on the side of the port, and the port's beauty is also incorporated into the building.

Tama Art University Library, Japan

This is also the work we have introduced, and the design of the helm is the famous Japanese architect Ito Toyohong. The library is located on the outskirts of Tokyo, with a gentle slope in front of the ground and a garden with various trees in front.

The first floor is a completely open gallery, and people who cross the campus can walk through the library even if they don't go to the library. The repetitive use of arched structures is a bit like a shuttle in the woods, and the space experienced by people as they pass through arches of different spans and heights is varied and quietly transformed.

José Vasconcelos Library, Mexico

The José Vasconcelos Library is located in the heart of Mexico City, named after the philosopher and politician José Vasconcelos. Originally a station, it was converted by architect Alberto Kalach to create a highly recognizable space using concrete and glass structures. The whole library shelves are stacked high and extremely imposing. The bookshelf looks like it is suspended in midair, and a huge whale skeleton is suspended in the center.

Salt Lake City Public Library, USA

“The library is not just a storage room for books and computers.” Based on this idea, architect Moshe Safdie designed the Salt Lake City Public Library. The six-story curved building also features a public plaza, not only on the ground floor with shops and library services, but also upstairs with a reading gallery and an auditorium for up to 300 people.

All the buildings are enclosed by a curved wall. The walls gradually descend towards the square, forming a continuous outdoor staircase that guides visitors from the square to the roof garden, which overlooks the surrounding Wasatch mountains.

Giselle Library, USA

This is the library designed by architect William Pereira for the University of California, San Diego in 1970. It has appeared in many science fiction movies, science fiction stories and novels. The powerful concrete piers and the spiral glass walls are very interesting. Like "The Pirates of the Space."

But the special features of the Giselle Library are not only in the shape, but also a lot of interesting traditions, such as holding a “library dinner”, inviting readers to taste cocktails, attending silent auctions and listening to a special speech by a famous writer. 

Benecke Ancient Books Rare Book Library, USA

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University was designed in 1963 by Gordon Bunshaft, the architect who won the Pritzker Prize. It is the world's largest dedicated book and manuscript. The building is located at Hewitt Quadrangle, 121 Wall Street, in the heart of the Yale campus in New Haven. The facade of the building allows sunlight to penetrate the walls and shine into the library.