Libraries

A bright, modern library interior with white walls, green plants, bookshelves, and people seated at desks on both sides. A wide staircase leads down to a lower level where a person stands near the entrance.

Jesus College Quincentenary Library, Cambridge

Celebrating 500 years of college education, this library blends contemporary technology with ancient forms to provide a space uniquely suited for study.
A modern library interior with wooden study desks separated by partitions, wooden chairs, bookshelves, a tall potted plant, large windows, and high white ceilings with skylights.

Universitätsbibliothek BOKU Wien

Part greenhouse, part sanatorium, this unusual glass extension of a Vienna Reformstil hospital hosts the library of the university of natural resources and life sciences.
A spacious, modern library interior with tall bookshelves, tables and chairs arranged for study, a mezzanine level with glass railings, and a ceiling with exposed white beams and large windows letting in natural light.

BCU Internef et Bibliothèque Edouard Fleuret

This 1978 library contains a special collection founded by Lausanne's own Sherlock Holmes.
A modern, angular glass and steel building is lit from within at dusk, with large, illuminated windows and straight lines. The surrounding area includes a sidewalk, bicycles, and other buildings in the background.

Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy, Québec

The second incarnation of Québec's central library aims to bring renewed attention to a struggling neighbourhood.
A white Neoclassical building stands between trees on a riverbank. The facade is painted white with a large stylized red letter A.

Bibliothek der Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien

Of the former Finance Directorate in Vienna, only the shell remains. The interior was filled by an "inward campus" for the University of Applied Arts and its library.
A library interior with bookshelves filled with books, tables and wooden chairs arranged for reading or studying, large windows letting in natural light, and a gray sofa with orange pillows.

Bibliothek der Graphischen, Wien

The print shop of this design school and research institute in Vienna is now a bright library.
A street view of a historic building with arched windows next to a modern glass and stone structure. Three people sit on benches in the foreground while two others walk by the buildings.

Bibliothèque humaniste de Sélestat

Since 1889, the former granary of the Alsatian town of Sélestat holds a unique collection documenting a long humanist tradition.
Interior of a multi-story library with open, tiered floors. Visible are several levels with bookshelves, study areas, and seating. A glass elevator is in motion in the background.

Toronto Reference Library

At the centre of North America's busiest public library system, the Toronto Reference Library is one of the city's most prized cultural assets.
A spacious, traditional library room with high vaulted wooden ceilings, large arched windows, wooden tables and chairs, bookshelves, chandeliers, and framed portraits on the walls.

Knox College Caven Library, Toronto

A prime example of Collegiate Gothic of the early 20th century, Toronto's Knox College is a favourite of students and film directors.
A spacious library interior with large arched windows, wooden floors, red bookshelves, a central information desk, a clock on the back wall, and several people reading or working at tables.

Bibliothèque d’étude et du patrimoine de Toulouse

Completed in 1935, the Art Déco Toulouse research library is a rare example of libraries built in France during the interwar period.
A spacious library with long wooden tables and chairs arranged in rows, tall bookshelves filled with books on two levels, large windows letting in natural light, and two levels of mezzanines with ornate railings. There is a spiral staircase at the back.

Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Tirol

Completed on the eve of the First World War, the university library of Innsbruck first served as a military hospital before it could open.
Large, modern library with rows of tables where many people are seated, studying or using laptops. Bookshelves are visible in the background. The ceiling has visible blue ducts and industrial lighting.

Bibliothèque Publique d’Information du Centre Pompidou

One of the world's most recognizable museums, Paris' Centre Pompidou is also home to the largest public library in the city.
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