From a Renaissance masterpiece to a forest house: nine inspirational libraries

Libraries are perhaps one of the most peaceful and quiet places on the planet. Well, these are truly magical corners that have a special charm. Of course, few travelers visit libraries at all, however, you may still want to see something from this list. Here is a rich history, and stunning architecture, and the opportunity to get lost in the abundance of books. Today they are completely different: from classical halls with columns and ancient collections to futuristic rooms with interactive catalogs.

Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland

The library of Trinity College in Dublin is actually very popular among tourists, and every morning there is a large queue. You can visit here the legendary Long Hall with high ceilings, marble busts and long racks, where more than two hundred thousand books stand in even rows.

Stockholm City Library, Sweden

Takeo City Library, Kyushu, Japan

And this library differs significantly from the previous ones, at least by the smell of freshly brewed coffee. Because there is ... a coffee shop! Starbucks in the city library opened in 2013 after restoration. And it seems to be the perfect place to have a coffee and retire with a book.

Binhai Eye Library, Tianjin, China

We simply could not help talking about this Chinese library, because this is perhaps the most futuristic library on the planet. It is located in the Binhai district of the Chinese city of Tianjin. The spherical building inside is equipped with wave-shaped shelves that perform several functions at once: a staircase, a place for reading and, in fact, the book shelves themselves. There are only books and nothing superfluous: neither tables, nor numerous table lamps and columns in the spirit of classicism, nor baroque stucco on the ceiling - everything is very minimalistic and beautiful. Probably, our ancestors represented the libraries of the future. And yes, the library is part of a modern complex, where in addition to it there is a park and four more futuristic buildings, interconnected by a glass corridor.

Rose Historic Hall, New York Public Library, USA

The Rose Reading Room was restored just three years ago. As expected, they tried to preserve the architectural elements that are more than a hundred years old. True, this library building today is named after Stephen A. Schwartzman, a businessman and investor from the United States who sponsored the expansion of the New York library.

Joanine Library, Coimbra University, Portugal

The library, built in the Baroque style, is one of the main architectural buildings of the University of Coimbra. The building, which was built over ten years and was first opened in 1728, is decorated with ceiling frescoes and massive tables made of noble varieties of wood. But the most important thing in this library is its inhabitants. A colony of bats lives here, and they help protect books from insects.

Taipei Public Library Branch in Beitou, Taiwan

The Beitou Taiwanese library is more like a treehouse somewhere in a protected forest. The building meets all modern environmental standards: natural light enters through large French windows, and on the roof there is a drainage system to collect rainwater. A real place of power where you can relax, recharge your batteries and enjoy a good book.

Alexandria Library, Egypt

Well, the Alexandria Library in Egypt is worth a visit if only because it stands on the very spot where once one of the most famous libraries of antiquity was located. Today, a modern building rises here, the walls of which are covered with symbols and hieroglyphs. This building is a symbol of past greatness, a whole cultural center with conference rooms and museums in which history and modernity merge. It was opened in 2002, and when the revolution began in 2011 in Egypt, a crowd of vandals headed towards the library building, which destroyed everything in its path. The inhabitants of Alexandria created a living chain around the building to protect the book temple.

Library at the Monastery of Escorial, Spain

The Escorial Monastery is a huge architectural complex near Madrid, built in the 16th century. It consists of a college, a palace, a monastery, a church and a library. The complex is considered one of the most important monuments of the Renaissance of Spain and causes the most conflicting feelings: someone considers it the eighth wonder of the world, others call it an architectural nightmare. So it’s worth to see Escorial and the library at least in order to decide which camp you belong to.