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Stadtbibliothek | Stuttgart, Germany.

Robarts Library, University of Toronto | Toronto, Canada.

Joe and Rika Mansueto Library | Chicago, IL

Bibliothéque de l'Hôtel de Ville | Paris, France

Doe Memorial Library, UC Berkeley | Berkeley, CA

Economics University Library | Vienna, Austria

BME Library | Budapest, Hungary

Grimm Zentrum, Humboldt University | Berlin, Germany.

Long-exposure photo showing the side of the library illuminated at dusk, with a parking lot in the foreground.

Bibliothèque Monique-Corriveau | Québec City, Canada

Zentralbibliothek | Zürich, Switzerland

Interior of a brutalist library atrium, with cascading terraces lined with planters, in which lush green interior plants grow. Students are working at cubicles. Boxy staircases lead from one level to another. A person stands on top of the topmost staircase and looks at the atrium below.

Scott Library, York University | Toronto, Canada.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos | Mexico City

Image of the Cook Library, a neogothic reading room with a decorated ceiling and chandeliers.

Cook Legal Research Library | Ann Arbor, MI

Wüttembergische Landesbibliothek | Stuttgart, Germany.

UOIT/Durham College Library | Oshawa, Canada

Supreme Court Library | Lausanne, Switzerland

George Peabody Library | Baltimore MD

City of Toronto Archives | Toronto, Canada

Sheridan College Library | Oakville, Canada

Rolex Learning Centre | Lausanne, Switzerland

Osgoode Hall Great Library | Toronto, Canada

Fisher Library | Toronto, Canada

Image of empty library shelves at the EPFL library.

EPFL central library | Lausanne, Switzerland.

Image of the Bata Library, a brutalist building reflected in a river.

Bata Library, Trent University | Peterborough, Canada.

Exterior view of a brick and concrete brutalist library, showing a variety of shapes and forms. A person walks on a sidewalk in front.

Robert Hutchings Goddard Library | Worcester, MA

OISE Library | Toronto, Canada

Bibliothèque Publique d'Information | Paris, France

Image of the Haydon Burns Library, a modernist building with a green tiled facade and vertical fins.

Haydon Burns Library, Jacksonville FL

University of Basel Library | Basel, Switzerland

Library of Parliament | Budapest, Hungary

Panoramic image of the Québec National Library in Montréal.

Grande Bibliothèque, BAnQ | Montréal, Canada

Libraries

My interest in library architecture started as I was involved in the planning for a new library building. Looking for inspiration, I started researching and then visiting other libraries that were moving into new spaces or undergoing a revitalization. I often photographed details that struck my interest, and gradually became fascinated with the unique visuals offered by all libraries, big and small.

To this day, I make a point of visiting as many libraries as I can when traveling, and often plan my trips around buildings I’m interested in visiting and photographing.

Latest posts

To date, I have visited more than 300 libraries for this project. I have started collecting some of my favourite examples of library architecture on these pages. Many more can be found on my Flickr,  Instagram or Mastodon feeds.

This is a work in progress, and I will keep updating this site as I learn more about the libraries I have visited. A selection of recently updated posts can be seen below, or you can view the whole list here. I also have a page dedicated to adaptive reuse library projects.

Happy exploring!

Exterior of a brick modernist library, a symmetrical rectangular building with a bay of concrete-framed windows to the centre.

University of Windsor Leddy Library

At the foot of the Ambassador Bridge to Detroit, the modernist Leddy Library marks the University of Windsor's shift from its roots as a Jesuit college to a public university.
Read More
Exterior of a brick Modernist library. The words "G. Flint Purdy Library" are displayed in white letters on the facade.

Wayne State University Libraries

Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan is a fine example of an early modern American campus.
Read More
Interior of a Beaux-Arts library building, showing a large mural depicting the bust of a man holding allegories of scientific achievements.

Detroit Public Library

Cass Gilbert's Beaux-Arts masterpiece was a key element of Detroit's City Beautiful aspirations.
Read More
Exterior of the USI library in Lugano, Switzerland. It is a neobaroque building with vaulted windows and unadorned stone facade, with a contemporary concrete and metal extension to the right. The modern extension resembles a lattice of concrete elements supporting dark metal boxes. A woman walks in front the building.

Biblioteca universitaria USI Lugano

This former hospice for the elderly witnessed the early years of artificial intelligence research before welcoming the library of a brand new university.
Read More
Interior of a Neogothic library reading room, showing a high rib vaulted ceiling and fan windows. Large chandeliers hang from the ceiling. The room is filled with long work tables, on which a few students are seated.

Library of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics BME-OMIKK

The grand reading room of the BME-OMIKK library in Budapest mixes medieval structural knowledge and 19th century engineering in a cathedral of knowledge.
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Exterior of a contemporary library at nightfall. Each level is slightly offset from the others, resembling a stack of boxes. The top floor is cantilevered over the plaza below. The library is brightly lit from the inside.

Halifax Central Library

Halifax's living room is a beloved community asset and a striking symbol for a city punching above its weight.
Read More

More…

Bucket list

The map below is my attempt to keep track of all the libraries I’ve been to (green and blue markers) and the ones I would like to visit one day (red markers). It is very unlikely.

If you know a library that should be on this list, let me know!

Test your knowledge

If you like the GeoGuessr game, try out my maps!

  • Library Interiors – Guess the library from interior shots only!
  • Concrete Libraries – How well do you know your Brutalist libraries?
  • Toronto Public Library branches – Can you find all 100 of them?
  • Swiss libraries – Old and new, big and small, in cities and on mountaintops.

Find me on Instagram

All photos are CC-BY-SA Thomas Guignard, unless noted otherwise. If you use them, please credit them and link back to this site.