Top 12 most beautiful libraries in the world
In the world, some libraries are worth seeing! Their unique architecture and unique atmosphere attract thousands of visitors every year. Discover our selection of the 12 most beautiful libraries to visit!
The Trinity College Library in Dublin
The breathtaking Hogwarts library in the famous Harry Potter saga, do you remember it forever? You will certainly be in awe before the library that inspired JK Rowling , that of Trinity College, the oldest university in Ireland. With a main hall 65 meters long, the Long Room, it houses more than five million books. Woodwork, vaulted ceiling, carved busts, arches make it a unique place. Inestimable pieces are kept there: a Brian Boru harp from the medieval Gaelic period, an illuminated manuscript of the first four gospels dating back to 820 (the Book of Kells), etc.
The George Peabody Library in Baltimore
Completed in 1878, this American library seduces with its neoclassical style and romantic charm. You can find no less than 300,000 books dedicated mainly to American and British literature in a breathtaking setting. A 5 storey atrium, black and white marble floor, multiple forged balconies and golden columns, ...: a decor worthy of the most splendid events!
The Joanina Library in Coimbra, Portugal
Erected in the 18th century, this university library is a National Monument in Portugal. Divided into three rooms by arcades, the library stands out for its majestic baroque art. In each room, splendid wooden shelves decorated by Manuel de Silva contain more than 300,000 books. Each arch has university signboards in carved and painted wood . As for the ceilings, they are covered with allegorical paintings trompe l'oeil, sumptuous masterpieces of A. S. Ribeiro and Vicente Nunez.
The Stuttgart Library
Developed by Korean architect Eun Young Yi, this German library is a monolithic building on the outside. Its 9 floors are illuminated with blue lights during the night. Its cubic interior of 100m3 of immaculate modernity and whiteness make it a modern temple of the book. The interior space remains completely open and shelving and stairs are intertwined in a striking, clean design.
The National Library of Austria
Founded by the Habsburgs in the Middle Ages, this Baroque library is housed in Vienna's largest castle, the Hofburg. The heart of the library is in the state hall, the Prunksaal. Measuring nearly 80 meters long and 20 meters high, this room is beautifully dominated by a dome decorated with multiple frescoes by the painter Daniel Gran. In addition to more than 200,000 works, there are various precious objects such as papyrus, maps, iconographic documents and two baroque Venetian globes more than one meter in diameter.
The Congress Library in Washington
With 158 million documents and 1350 km of shelves, it is the largest library in the world! Founded in 1800, this library is also the oldest in the United States . It contains unique works, including one of three vellum copies of the Gutenberg Bible or a Buddhist Sutra of 770. The impressive octagonal Reading Room overlooks magnificent ceilings and offers sumptuous decor.
The library of the National Assembly in Paris
Located in the Palais Bourbon, this French library with five domes was decorated by Eugène Delacroix in the nineteenth century. His paintings represent Science, Legislation, Theology, Philosophy and Poetry. Among nearly a million documents, there are real treasures such as the original minutes of the famous trial of Joan of Arc, manuscripts of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an Aztec calendar, ...
The library of the San Lorenzo del Escorial Monastery in Spain
Located in a 16th century monastery now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , this library houses some 45,000 ancient documents. Marble floor, beautifully carved wooden furniture, vaulted ceiling adorned with a grandiose fresco, ...: all the elements are there to make it an exceptional place.
National Library of the Czech Republic
This library located in Prague was inaugurated in 1722. It is located in the heart of the Clementium, a baroque building built in the 11th century. Home to no less than 20000 theological and medical books , it stands out with its beautifully painted ceiling frescoes by Jan Hiebl in 1727.
Zhongshuge-Hangzhou Library in Shanghai
Famous China Library built in 2013, the building has nine reading areas and more than 50,000 books. The highlight of the show is in the main hall. Its particularly imposing floor-to-ceiling shelves and its mirrored ceiling that creates a breathtaking sensation of infinity offer a unique spectacle.
The Portuguese Royal Library in Rio de Janeiro
Built in the nineteenth century in Brazil, the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura houses under its glass dome the most beautiful collection of Portuguese works outside Portugal. Its Gothic architectural style impresses with its exuberance and huge shelves and sumptuous chandelier .
The Seattle Public Library
With its futuristic design and architecture, this library can not go unnoticed! Designed by the famous Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and built in 2004, its glass and steel structure impresses with its straight lines that intersect and its huge blocks at different levels. An incomparable deconstructivist style!