Libraries

Interior of a contemporary library with white walls. A person walks up a staircase on the left, while another stands by a railing on the upper level. The lower level has boxes of CDs and DVDs. Light comes from a square window high up the wall.

Stadtbibliothek Heidenheim

In shape and function, this library acts as a force of cohesion.
A contemporary, multilevel library with curved balconies and tall white columns. Filled bookshelves and colourful seats contrast against the grey and white surroundings. Natural light comes from large windows at the back.

Le Studium, Strasbourg

This undulating shape marks the entrance to a landmark postwar campus.
A 1980s, multi-story building with gabled roofs and large windows is situated on a corner. It features a cylindrical glass stairwell on the right. The foreground includes a cobblestone area with bike racks, signs, and street lamps. Clear blue sky above.

Stadtbibliothek Aalen

The intriguing and complex shapes of the Torhaus in Aalen house a bright and efficient library.
A modern three-story building with a metal grid facade and wooden walls, featuring large windows and balconies on each floor. The structure is surrounded by other similar buildings and shrubs.

Hochschulbibliothek Aalen

Compact and efficient, this library combines clever design with simple, local materials to minimize its carbon footprint.
Interior of a library in a converted industrial building with exposed brick walls. A central information desk is staffed by a person. Shelves filled with books surround the area. A display with pamphlets is on the right.

Bibliotheek Oog in Al, Utrecht

Through fire and pestilence, from farmer cooperative pride to beloved community centre, the history of the Cereolfabriek is far from over.
A courtyard with a large, three-story industrial-style building in the background with a facade of brick and glazing. The courtyard is paved with concrete tiles, and a blue, tube-like structure is placed in the centre. The sky is clear and sunny.

Tweebronnen Library, Leuven

The transformation of this former technical school by one of the early masters of Modernism questions the balance between preservation and reuse.
A symmetrical stone building with classical architectural features with a triangular roof line flanked by two turrets topped with decorative urns. It has tall windows and a wooden door and is surrounded by trees and a neatly trimmed hedge in the foreground.

Bibliothèque Solvay, Bruxelles

Once a neglected relic, now a carefully restored prize that's hard to get to, Brussel's Bibliothèque Solvay is an enigmatic jewel.
A historic building with classical architecture is flanked by modern glass structures on both sides. Snow covers the ground, and a blurred car passes by on the road in front. The scene is illuminated by soft evening light.

Bibliothèque Maisonneuve, Montréal

From visions of grandeur too big for a city budget to a dying star's last breath, the surprising history of the Maisonneuve library is far from over.
Exterior of a modernist brick library.

Lakehead University Library

On an eclectic northern campus, this library was built for growth.
Exterior of a modernist tower surrounded by lower buildings with an arched portico.

Caltech Hall (Millikan Library)

Rising above the campus of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, this library once named for a problematic figure is now dedicated to the college community as a whole.
Interior of a library inside a Renaissance palazzo, showing a long and narrow reading room with work tables lining both walls. Between large vaulted windows, the walls are decorated with frescoes depicting maps.

PLUS Teilbibliotheken Alte Residenz

In the corridors of Salzburg's Alte Residenz, a heavy iron door opens to a world of rediscovered treasures and secret passages.
Interior of a Beaux-Arts building, a rectangular atrium surrounded by columns and a mezzanine.

Bibliothèque Centrale de Montréal

Born of decades of controversy, Montreal's first French-language public library is now home to a very unusual collection.
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