A little off topic but I thought these images were worth sharing. There’s nothing quite like a beautiful library, they have such a magical feel. These take that to a whole new level. Take a look at these visually stunning libraries, compiled by Sarah Park from Matador Networks.
Complete with an art gallery, internet cafe and a rooftop garden – this is a step up from the little corner library I used to visit. It opened in 2003 and uses almost all natural lighting.
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library is in New Haven, CT and was gifted to Yale University by the Beinecke family. In contrast to the Urban Room of the Salt Lake City library shown above, this room has zero natural lighting in order to preserve the very rare collection.
The Strahov Theological Hall at the Strahov Monestery in Prague contains over 18000 religious texts.
The Jose Vasconcelos library in Mexico City boast one of the most modern designs, maybe a little too modern as they had to close it down for a while as they sorted through some architectural problems. With half a million books and a Botanical garden, it’s certainly worth a visit.
Another stunning library, the Real Gabinete in Rio de Janeiro. They stuffed over 350000 volumes into this four story tall room.
Take a look at a few other stunning libraries at Matador Network.