Library Architecture, Bibliotheques, Architects, Interiors, Building Designs, News

Library Architecture : Buildings

Major Buildings / Architectural Projects from around the world

post updated 27 Feb 2020

Library Architecture

We’ve selected what we feel are the key examples of Library Architecture. We cover completed buildings, new building designs, architectural exhibitions and architecture competitions across the world. The focus is on contemporary library buildings.

Libraries

We have 3 pages of Library Architecture selections.

Library Buildings : news + key projects

Library Building Designs : A-K

Library Architecture : L-Z (this page)

Library Building Designs

Key Building Projects, alphabetical:

Law Library, Cambridge, England, UK
Design: Foster + Partners
Cambridge Law Library
picture : Adrian Welch
Cambridge Law Library Building
This modern structure on The Backs was apparently nicknamed by some Cambridge students as the ‘Bread Bin’. This rather stark Foster building contains the ‘relocated’ Squire Law library with generous atrium, five auditoria and offices.

Library España, Colombia
Design: Giancarlo Mazzanti Architect
Biblioteca Pública Santo Domingo
photo : Sergio Gómez
Biblioteca Pública Santo Domingo
The program asked for a building with library, training rooms, an administration and an auditorium on a sole building. The proposal fragmented the program in three groups.

Library of the Future, Kortrijk, Belgium
Design: REX
Kortrijk Library
image © Luxigon courtesy REX
Kortrijk Library design
The city of Kortrijk sought to create a library that would combine the functions of a traditional central library with a Life-Long Learning Center and bring in the city’s Music Center as an equal partner. The new combination was named the “LLLibrary.”

MedaTeca Building, near Milan, northern Italy
Design: Alterstudio Partners
MedaTeca Building
photo from architects
MedaTeca Building, Lombardy

Open-Air-Library, Magdeburg, Germany
Design: KARO*
Magdeburg Library
photo : Anja Schlamann
Open-Air-Library Magdeburg

Port Pirie Community Library Building, South Australia
Design: Kirkbride Boyce Architects
Port Pirie Library Building
building photo from architect
Port Pirie Library Building

Royal Library extension, Copenhagen, Denmark
Design: Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen, Architects
Sort Diamant Copenhagen
picture : Adrian Welch
Sort Diamant : nicknamed the ‘Black Diamond’

Saint-Laurent Library Building, Canada
Design: various architects
Saint-Laurent Library
picture from Client
Saint-Laurent Library Building

Seattle Public Library, Washington, USA
Design: Rem Koolhaas Architects / OMA
Seattle Library
photograph : Philippe Ruault
Seattle Public Library Building

Seville University Library, Spain
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects
Seville University Architecture
picture from architect
Seville University Library

Shenzhen University Town Library, Shenzhen, China
Design: RMJM Architects
Shenzhen University library
photo : H. G. Esch
Shenzhen University library

Søgne Library and city hall, Norway
a-lab, Architects
Søgne City Hall Norway
picture : a-lab
Søgne City Hall

Stockholm Library Design, Sweden
Winner: Heike Hanada
Stockholm Library building
image from AAC organisers
Stockholm Library building Competition

Surry Hills Library Building, NSW, Australia
Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp
Surry Hills Library Building
image : John Gollings courtesy by FJMT
Surry Hills Library Building

Taltal Public Library, Chile
Murúa-Valenzuela
Taltal Library Building
photo © macarenaalvarez
Biblioteca Pública Taltal

Tianjin Binhai Library, China
KDG group, INC
Tianjin library
image from architects
Tianjin Library Building

Turku City Library, Finland
JKMM Architects
Turku City Library
picture : Arno de la Chapelle
Turku City Library Building

Waalse Krook, Gent, Belgium
UNStudio
Waalse Krook
image © Mir_www.mir.no
Waalse Krook Gent

Zonnebeke Library, Flanders, Belgium
Wim Supply Architect
Zonnebeke Library
photograph : Jan Theuninck
Zonnebeke Library

More buildings + architecture projects online soon

Library Buildings – No Images

Key Library Architecture – L-Z, alphabetical:

National Library of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
2005-
Bolles-Wilson
Architecture competition winner

New Queens Library, New York, USA
2010-
Design: Steven Holl Architects
New Queens Library

Peckham Library, London, UK
1999
Alsop & Stormer
Peckham Library : Stirling Prize winner 2000

Salt Lake City Main Public Library, Utah, USA

Moshe Safdie Architects

Sant Antoni-Joan Oliver Library, Barcelona, Spain
2007
RCR Arquitectes
incl. Senior Citizens Day Centre

State public library, Granada, Spain
1995
Andrés Perea Ortega

Stockholm Library, Sweden
1927
Erik Gunnar Asplund

Tokyo University Library, Japan
2007
Shigeru Ban

Viana do Castelo – Library, northern Portugal
2007
Alvaro Siza Architects

Viipuri Library (Vyborg), Russia
1932
Alvar Aalto

More architecture projects online soon

Library Architecture – Links

Birmingham Library Competition

Contemporary Interiors

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Advocates Library Edinburgh

National Library of Scotland

British Library

Prague Library building

Halmstad Library building

Comments / photos for the Contemporary Library Architecture page welcome