LUO Studio’s Shell Book Pavilion occupies a public plaza of Xiangyun Town, a commercial district of Beijing. Taking the form of a clamshell which opens and closes, the tiny library shapes a small but active space for reading, gathering, and pause. The project begins from familiarity. The architects describe prior visits with family, where the…

At Léopold Sédar Senghor School in Paris, Atelier Pierre-Louis Gerlier transforms a former storage room into an immersive library designed as a colorful learning landscape. The library functions as a small village made up of huts arranged around a large central square, which offers communal space for group reading, discussions, and collective activities. Each hut…

An ergonomic work setup is essential for creating healthy workspaces that reduce occupational injuries and support staff wellbeing. Workstations should promote a natural posture and allow staff to vary their working position throughout the day, helping to minimize repetitive movement and strain on the musculoskeletal system. This can be supported by providing furniture and equipment…

Suspended steel shelving forms permeable curtain within revitalized historic Slovak Library The project by Doxa and Bistan Architekti revitalizes the P. O. Hviezdoslav Regional Library in Prešov, Slovakia. Housed within three adjoining historic townhouses, the intervention focuses on preserving the spatial integrity of the original structures while introducing a new shelving system that organizes the…

Architecture practice Parallel Studio has punctured the white walls of this children’s library in Zanzibar with small holes, providing natural ventilation and casting shadows across books inside. Named Mariam’s Library, the building occupies an empty plot in the village of Mwanyanya and is designed as an “inviting and inclusive environment conducive to learning, creativity, and…

London studio Wright & Wright has expanded the University of Oxford’s Corpus Christi College Library, tucking a limestone-fronted extension into its original Grade I-listed site. Named The Spencer Building, the 479-square-metre extension consolidates the library’s collection of rare manuscripts and books into a single home, while providing reading spaces and step-free access. The Spencer Building…

At Yakety Yak Furniture, we design with flexibility in mind. That’s why our height-adjustable pods, desks and counters come in a range of mobility options, making it easy to find the perfect setup for your space and service style. Whether you’re creating a fixed front-of-house area that only moves as service requirements change, or a…

Snøhetta’s Beijing City Library has opened doors for visitors as the world’s largest climatized reading space. It is the firm’s latest innovation in the library typology, thirty-five years after they began work on Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. Located in Tongzhou District, the glass-lined building invites nature into the reading space and lends transparency to the enriched interior environment when…

British architecture studios, Nex and Donald Insall Associates, have renovated Exeter College’s neo-gothic library at the University of Oxford, originally constructed by George Gilbert Scott in 1857. Addressing a need for additional study spaces and improved accessibility of the Grade II-listed building, the studios implemented a series of contemporary interventions including the addition of new entrances, a staircase and a…

At Yakety Yak, we believe good design starts with people—how they move, work, and interact. That’s why our library service pods, desks, and counters are ergonomically designed to enhance well-being. Featuring gently curved worktops and electronic height adjustability, every detail is crafted to create a more accessible, comfortable and responsive experience for staff and customers.…