Some may claim that the library culture
is dying (and good riddance), but the visitors to these libraries would
say that’s far from the truth.
Bookworm or not, there’s a lot to love
about these ten awesome libraries in Europe. From the futuristic
Stuttgart City Library in Germany to the practically ancient
Saint-Geneviève Library in France, come with us on a tour of the most
interesting places to check out a book. You’ll be surprised by what we
find, and perhaps even find it in your heart to give the future of
libraries a bit more credit.# 1. The Royal Library Copenhagen, Denmark
In
an age where many communities consider libraries a relic from the past,
Denmark’s appreciation for the future of the literary world is clear.
The Royal Library, known as the Black Diamond for its granite accents,
is quite unlike any library we’ve ever seen, with its ultra-mod
appearance and sleek interior. It’s also the younger generation figured
out—the building’s coffee shop is an irresistible draw on rainy days. We
love classic fresco and the in-house concert hall, too, which allows
visitors to enjoy more than one type of art.
# 2. Trinity College Old Library, Dublin
Dublin’s
Trinity College Old Library really is old—or at least, its books are.
Although the library is a mere 400 years old, it contains an impressive
array of books dating through twelve centuries, the oldest of which is
the famous Book of Kells. Although most visitors come to the library to
check out the Book of Kell’s Latin scripture and illumination, they stay
for the myriads of other books available for enjoyment. We know there’s
a ton of bars you want to hit while you’re in Dublin, but it’s worth it
to stop for a bit at the Trinity College Old Library.
# 3. Stuttgart City Library, Germany
This
ain’t your grandma’s library. The Stuttgart City Library has a lot of
great reading material, but it’s the super weird shape of the building
that makes people want to hang out. The library is built out of glass
bricks that glow blue at night, and the interior is totally white and
minimalist. Strangest of all, the library is shaped into a reverse
pyramid, with layers of floors that get wider as you ascend. Our
favorite part? The rooftop terrace, where you can watch the clouds float
by while working on that page-turner.
# 4. Library of Birmingham, England
Because
we know you’ve always hoped to visit a library that looks like a pile
of Christmas presents, we give you the Library of Birmingham in England.
The library’s coolest element, for the nerdiest among us, is the
Shakespeare Memorial room near the top of the library. There are some
first-edition Shakespeare copies in this room, so even if you have no
clue what a “spleeny lily-livered codpiece” is, you’ll want to take a
look. For the less poetically inclined, the many terraces make a perfect
place for some light reading.
# 5. Coimbra Library, University of Coimbra–Alta and Sofia, Portugal
Coimbra
Library is a series of artwork within artwork. Between the carved wood
bookcases, painted ceiling, and oils hung on the walls, it might be a
while before you can stop staring and actually crack open a book. On a
creepier note, bats haunt the book-lined halls at night, and there is
actually a prison in the basement of this library. Maybe they used to
throw people in there if they forgot to return library books? We’ll take
a $3 fine any day!
# 6. Dokk1 Library, Denmark
“Every
time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings,” according to the classic
movie It’s a Wonderful Life. In the Dokkl Library, though, the bell is
rung every time a child is born at a nearby hospital. Amid the joyful
tinkle of birth announcements, people browse the shelves at
Scandinavia’s largest library, enjoying both the reading selection and
the view. There are plenty of chairs lined up at the floor-to-ceiling
glass windows of the room so that the library’s visitors can watch the
river below pass peacefully along the edge of the building.
# 7. Vennesla Library, Norway
If
the perfect library exists, it’s this one. The Vennesla Library in
Norway has a streamlined design that combines the minimalism of modern
trends with the quiet comfort you loved in your childhood libraries.
Each shelf is not only part of the structural design of the building,
but it’s also a reading chair. As a bonus, the reading nooks are
equipped with noise-absorbing materials and designs so that people can
read in peace. Now, that’s a library. It’s the bookworm’s dream.
# 8. Sainte-Geneviève Library, France
The
columned, rectangular structure of the Sainte-Geneveive library looks a
bit dusty and old fashioned, and perhaps it is. We shall extend our
forgiveness, though, recognizing that it takes a mammoth structure of
majestic proportions to be worthy of the Collection of the Abbey of St.
Geneveive. Beneath its arches and gargantuan windows, the library
contains about two million books and documents, more than you could read
in a lifetime.
# 9. The Escorial Library, Spain
If
you visit the Escorial Library in Spain, you may think you’ve wandered
into an art gallery rather that a library. The ceilings are covered with
intricate frescoes, and the shelves themselves are precious objects of
art. However, even with all the aesthetic draw, the library’s books and
history are still more intriguing. During the Inquisition in Spain, many
valuable books and documents were destroyed if they contradicted
popular ideology, especially Arabic books and other prohibited works.
However, the library was not subjected to search, so the volumes hidden
in its corridors remained untouched. They are still there today, relics
of the past that survived almost certain doom.
# 10. Malmö City Library, Sweden
The
Malmö City Library has three buildings, all with their very own
personality. If you’re feeling like a prince or princess, head over to
the Old Building, which was built in the 1940s in the style of a
Renaissance castle. For a more modern experience, the Calendar of Light
is just as beautiful as the Old Building, but in a more updated style.
At night, it glows brilliantly through its glass front. Between the two
is the Cylinder, which links the two with the info desk and (of course)
the very necessary coffee shop.
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