A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the abandoned Wal-Mart building that was turned into a library. I thought it was a really cool use of the building, and I loved that what was once a soulless commercial building was repurposed to become a community space where people could read and learn. Additionally, the new library was beautifully designed. The whole thing got me thinking about libraries, in general; there are some really stunning public libraries around the world! Some are centuries old and housed in exquisite gothic or colonial buildings, and others are monuments to modernity. Some take you back in time to a cozy antiquity with their frescoed walls and dark wood shelves reaching to the heavens, and others whisk you into the glorious future with their gleaming glass surfaces and innovative architecture. After scouring the internet and indulging in large quantities of international library porn, I bring you ten of the most beautiful libraries in the world!
We’ll start out this tour with some of the gorgeous old libraries of Europe, Canada, and South America, and finish up with some stunning American and European libraries!
