These 8 libraries in Europe are design wonders

07.05.2024 - 19:17 / lonelyplanet.com

Europe’s legendary libraries rank among some of the world’s most famous buildings.

Many are historical landmarks, grand monuments to the importance of learning and the power of knowledge to society. 

A list of our favorite libraries in Europe could run into the hundreds. We’ve narrowed down our list to lesser-known institutions that you’ll want to consider on your next itinerary.

Here are eight  of the most beautiful – and littlest known – libraries all over Europe.

The main city library is just a 15 minute walk north of the city centre. Designed by architect Erik Gunnar Asplund and sporting a curvaceous, technicolor reading room, it’s the finest example of Stockholm’s 1920s neoclassicist style. Located in the relaxed Vasastan neighborhood, a great place to while away an afternoon as it offer some of the best places to eat in the city. 

In central Warsaw, Poland, the University Library dates to 1816, with its memorable new building inaugurated in 1999. Green trusses in the reading room and pink accents along a copper facade (now turned green by the elements) make the building both august and playful, while bushy ivy climbs its walls toward a terrace with four separate, equally lush gardens, adding a layer of nature. The library’s entrance contains blocks with writings in various languages, including a text by Plato in ancient Greek, and also one in ancient Polish. Inside, edification awaits.

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A treasure among libraries in Italy, Venice’s Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana contains one of the most important collections of Greek, Latin and Asian manuscripts in the world. Designed by Jacopo Sansovino and completed in the 1500s, the building is located off San Marco Square, with an elegant and somewhat unusual style for the period. Its reading rooms are adorned with murals by Titian and Tintoretto, among other famous Venetian artists. 

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Known as “The Black Diamond,” the Royal Library in Copenhagen is a contemporary jewel indeed. Built in 1999 as an extension of a historic institution, the library is in the heart of the Danish capital and is one of its most significant architectural additions of recent decades. With its rigorous geometry and glossy granite-and-glass surfaces, the black cube is mesmerizing on the outside; the inside brings twisting shapes, wide spaces and escalators that connect multiple levels.

In addition to its seven floors, the terrace can accommodate large crowds for such events as concerts and plays. Apart from the main functions of a library, the building houses the National Museum of Photography, plus a bookshop, cafe and restaurant. The library also runs guided tours for the public.

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