The 13 Most Beautiful Libraries in the World
It’s nearly impossible to define the most beautiful libraries while solely considering their purpose: to offer infinite access to knowledge to anyone at no cost. As the location of countless community resources and places of cultural engagement, the draw of these institutions is inherent. After all, as Albert Einstein once said, “The only thing you absolutely have to know is where the library is.”
Still, some have aesthetic pull as well. From the Americas to Europe, Asia, and Africa, visually beautiful libraries exist on nearly every continent. Some are hundreds of years old, adorned in gilded finishes and captivating frescoes. Others are strikingly modern, with sleek lines and a futuristic nod. In either case they capture the spirit of wonder and the pursuit of learning that is both necessary to design a one-of-a-kind space and often found in the patrons who visit it.
Here, AD surveys just a small collection of thousands of stunning athenaeums around the world, which top our list as the most picturesque.
Photo: Getty Images1/13Library of Strahov Monastery (Prague, Czech Republic)
The oldest part of the Library of Strahov Monastery, the Baroque Theological Hall, was established between 1671 and 1674, making the establishment one of the oldest—and best preserved—historical libraries in the world. Over 200,000 volumes are collected here, with many of the texts printed between 1501 and 1800.
Photo: Oliver Strewe/Getty Images2/13Old Library of Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland)
Appropriately named the Long Room, this space is located within the Old Library at Trinity College. Previously, the room’s ceiling was flat and only shelved books on the lower level. However, the college was granted a free copy of every book published in Britain and Ireland, requiring the expansion of the cavernous space.
Photo: Getty Images3/13Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
In 1837, a group of 43 Portuguese immigrants and political refugees established the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading to promote their culture in what was the Empire of Brazil. The library was designed by architect Rafael da Silva e Castro in a neo-Gothic style and was inspired by the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.
Photo: Atlantide Phototravel/Getty Images4/13Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (Paris, France)
The library at the Cite de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine in Paris is a must visit for any architecture lover. Not only because of the stunning location in a Romanesque sistine, but also because its entire collection is dedicated to works about architecture, urbanism, and landscaping. The library also houses the largest collection of preserved romanesque wall paintings in France.
Photo: Education Images/Getty Images5/13Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (Madrid, Spain)
Established by Phillip II, the Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a pristine example of renaissance architecture. The king was both a humanist and a bibliophile, two identities that prompted his decision to create the stunning location. Now, the monastery and its surroundings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
View Pictures/Getty Images6/13The Hachioji Library at Tama Art University (Tokyo, Japan)
With an open floor plan and concrete colonnades, this brutalist-inspired building exudes cool minimalism. Designed by Pritzker Prize–winning firm Toyo Ito & Associates, the head of the univeristy, Hidemi Kondo, says the space plays an important role for students. Not only is it a place for research and education, but also a source of inspiration for the artists.
Photo: Sascha Kilmer/Getty Images7/13Stephen A. Schwarzman Building at the New York Public Library (New York, New York)
The main branch of the New York City public library system, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building is a Beaux Arts masterpiece in midtown Manhattan. The library is divided into nine sections, with an estimated 2.5 million volumes in its collection. The Rose Main Reading Room, seen here, measures 78 feet by 297 feet—roughly the size of two city blocks.
Photo: Buyenlarge/Getty Images8/13George Peabody Library in Baltimore (Maryland, United States)
In 1857, George Peabody, a Massachusetts-born philanthropist, founded the Peabody Institute, the oldest music conservatory in the United States. He dedicated the school to the citizens of Baltimore in thanks for their “kindness and hospitality.” The collection at the George Peabody Library at Johns Hopkins dates to this notable establishment, and now holds over 300,000 volumes. The five-story building was designed by Edmund G. Lind in collaboration with Dr. Nathaniel H. Morison, the Peabody Institute’s first provost. As the university notes on the library’s web page, the space is “essential for teaching and research.”
Photo: Jessica Pichardo/Getty Images9/13Biblioteca Vasconcelos (Mexico City, Mexico)
The books and shelves at the Biblioteca Vasconcelos are arranged in such a way that they appear almost like a futuristic space in some kind of pixelated alternate reality. The illusion is just given what then President of Mexico Vicente Fox said at its inauguration in 2006: that it was among the 21st century’s most advanced constructions. The building is decorated with a collection of art and sculptures by Mexican artists and was designed by Alberto Kalach and Juan Palomar.
Photo: Getty Images10/13Wiblingen Monastery Library (Ulm, Germany)
Appearing like the physical manifestation of a Baroque fairytale, one of the world’s most beautiful libraries is hidden in an unassuming location: inside a German monastery. The Rococo-style space is, however, somewhat of a trick—though an extremely convincing one. What looks like blue and pink marble columns, porcelain and gold statues, and intricate marquetry along the doors is, in fact, an illusion. Besides the floor and ceiling, the room is mostly painted wood, crafted in the hyper-realistic style known as trompe l’oeil, or optical illusion, as it translates to in English.
Photo: Salman Usmani/India Pictures/Getty Images11/13Raza Library (Rampur, India)
As an archive of Indo-Islamic cultural heritage, the halls of Raza Library are full of books, paintings, historical documents, and manuscripts of significant national importance. The library was established by Nawab Faizullah Khan in 1774, the institution is now run by the central government. Housed in a fort named Hamid Manzil, the building was designed by architect W.C. Wright in a style known as Indo-Saracenic. This aesthetic combines elements of Islamic, Hindu, and Victorian Gothic and was mainly use by British architects in India during the 19th century.
Photo: Imagno/Getty Images12/13Library of the Monastery of St. Gall (St. Gallen, Switzerland)
Both the monastery and the medieval library it houses were designated World Heritage Sites in 1983 because of their history as “one of the most important cultural centers in Europe.” Designed by Peter Thumb in the Rococo style, there is a Greek inscription above the library hall entrance, which translates to “healing place for the soul.”
Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance/Getty Images13/13Stuttgart City Library (Stuttgart, Germany)
Appearing like a perfect cube from the exterior, the Stuttgart City Library was designed by Yi Architects and intended to combine tradition with innovation. “The form and symmetry of entrance of the building was inspired by the ‘Cenotaph for Newton’ by Étienne Boullée, but the heart and core of the library follows the design of the ancient pantheon,” the architects shared on Arch Daily.
