To visit the incredible collections featured in the aptly-named new book, Libraries, you won't need a library card, but you will need a passport.
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1
Admont Library
20th Century Studios
Location: Admont, Austria
Architect: Josef Hueber
Year: 1776
The library's ceiling frescoes were inspired by the Englightenment.
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2
Philological Library
20th Century Studios
Location: Free University of Berlin, Germany
Architect: Foster + Partners
Year: 2005
Nicknamed "The Berlin Brain," the library's four stories are contained within a bubble-like enclosure.
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3
LiYuan Library
20th Century Studios
Location: Jiaojiehe, Beijing, China
Architect: Li Xiaodong Atelier
Year: 2011
The library's windows are covered in untreated twigs, which tempers the light and allows for more comfortable reading.
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4
John a Lasco Library
20th Century Studios
Location: Emden, Germany
Architect: Jochen Bunse
Year: 1995
The modern library was built in the 1990s within the walls of the original space, a late-Gothic Great church that was severely damaged by bombs during World War II.
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5
Stuttgart City Library
20th Century Studios
Location: Stuttgart, Germany
Architect: Yi Architects
Year: 2011
The minimalist library has a gray concrete and frosted glass exterior with a bright, spacious interior where people and books provide the color.
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6
TEA Tenerife Arts Space
20th Century Studios
Location: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Architect: Herzog & de Meuron
Year: 2008
TEA's modern lighting features that contrast with the dark concrete, which is a nod to Tenerife's volcanic rock.
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7
Book Mountain
20th Century Studios
Location: Spijkenisse, The Netherlands
Architect: MVRDV
Year: 2012
At the apex of the library's glass and timber pyramidis a reading room and cafe with a 360-degree view of the area.
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8
Vennesla Library and Culture House
20th Century Studios
Location: Vennesla, Norway
Architect: Helen & Hard
Year: 2011
The library's "whale skeleton" structure in highlighed by its ceiling, which is comprised of 27 prefabricated glued-laminated timber ribs.
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9
The Black Diamond, Royal Library of Denmark
20th Century Studios
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Year: 1999
The Black Diamond, whose name comes from its polished black granite exterior, also houses two museums and a concert hall.
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10
Abbey Library of St. Gall
20th Century Studios
Location: St. Gallen, Switzerland
Architect: Peter Thumb
Year: 1767
The abbey became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, and its library is a mix of wood, stucco, and frescoes.
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11
José Vasconcelos Library
20th Century Studios
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Architect: Alberto Kalach
Year: 2006
The narrow building's interior is a network of stacks confined in a glass case,.
I’m an editor at Veranda.com, ELLEDECOR.com, and Housebeautiful.com. I’ve never met a gallery wall I didn’t like and in my apartment you’ll find probably too many photos and prints of oceans, lakes, and pools.