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
Libraries have taken on an array of forms around the world, as reading rooms that have been tucked into former
. 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.
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 are a melange of heights and lengths, emphasizing the
, cavelike perspective created by the rising floor. The library holds over 124,000 volumes in its free flowing interior space.
Originally modeled after the Imperial Court Library in
library is an architectural beauty straight out of a fairytale. With Baroque ceiling frescoes and gold trim, it’s easy to imagine yourself as fabled royalty
through the palatial hall, which houses some 200,000 volumes. Just be careful not to get lost among its hidden spiral staircases and
doors nestled in the hall’s famous white and gold bookshelves.
McKim Building feels like a palace for the people, a fitting description from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.’s poem dedicated to its opening in the late 19th century. The Bates Hall reading room spans the length of the building beneath a grand barrel-vaulted ceiling, with rows of green lamps illuminating the original tables and bookcases. When the library opened,
could request books through a pneumatic tube system, which staff sent back along a miniature book railway. Though this technology is gone, the palace remains.
National Library was designed to look like an open book, with two pages folded at the corners to filter the intense desert sun. Its spacious interior allows visitors to take in the building’s architecture and collections all at once. Descend into the sunken travertine marble Heritage Collection, which includes
inscriptions and the rare Cedid Atlas, an illustrated Ottoman atlas from the 18th century.
The striking, geometric exterior of Royal Danish Library’s waterfront extension (better known as the Black Diamond) gives a
impression, but the treasures inside are anything but. The eight-story building’s special collection offers
diary, a Gutenberg Bible, and much more. Once inside, find a massive atrium flooding the space with
, curving around the building like a giant guitar when viewed from above.
Situated in Simón Bolivar Metropolitan Park and surrounded by the rolling landscape of the
, the Virgilio Barco Library appears to be almost a small city unto itself. Designed by Colombian architect
, its circular arches and warm, natural lighting are enough to inspire visitors. Its water features are the icing on the cake: a series of reflecting
and a cascading water channel not only look beautiful but cool the building as well.
Aptly nicknamed “the Eye” after its central spherical auditorium, the futuristic Tianjin Binhai Library was designed by Dutch firm
and completed in an astonishing three years. 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
design of Mill Valley Public Library feels like a log cabin retreat perfect for cozying up with a book. Sweeping windows in the reading room offer views of the
canopy, and when it’s time for a fresh air break, head onto the scenic outdoor deck to watch the peaceful fern-lined Old Mill Creek flow by.
lies the spectacular Royal Portuguese Reading Room, founded in 1837. Its ornate
-meets-Renaissance exterior was designed to mirror the Jerónimo Monastery in
, Portugal. However, the star of the show are the vivid greens, reds, and blues of the
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.
Sursă: https://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-09-02/10-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-libraries