Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has completed the new Billie Jean King Main Library situated at the heart of downtown Long Beach, in California. The state-of-the-art, structural timber building features distinct and identifiable interior spaces that maximize square footage and enhance user accessibility and staff efficiency. The design by SOM provides a welcoming and flexible…

Sited within Japan’s Nakanoshima Park in Osaka, a children’s book forest designed by Tadao Ando is expressively clad in colorful books. The renowned Japanese architect is widely known for his emphasis on both atmospheric simplicity and spatial complexity. With his latest children’s library, the designer manages to maintain an open and uncluttered interior by integrating…

A hill-like green roof with a skylight helps to blend this public library by Toronto architecture firm RDHA into its grassy surrounds. Springdale Public Library and the surrounding Komagata Maru Park are located in Brampton, Canada, a suburb outside of Toronto. The library comprises three volumes around a central patio, featuring aluminium and glazed walls…

Yusuhara is a small town in Kochi Prefecture with a population of a few thousand people. This in and of itself is not terribly noteworthy, as there are thousands of little towns around Japan that, on paper, seem very similar. What sets this charming mountain town apart is the presence of six dramatic buildings designed…

French architectural agency D’Houndt+Bajart unveils their latest work – the transformation of Dunkirk‘s former fine arts museum into a media library called ‘LA BIB’. Commissioned by the city, the ambitious project intends to create a cultural hub by providing a new program for the building, which includes a café, library, auditorium and an exhibition hall.…

Following an 18-month renovation of the historic Rand Hall at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, the ‘Mui Ho Fine Arts Library’ opened in August 2019. The redesigned space was designed by architect Wolfgang Tschapeller, whose goal for the project was ‘a 21st-century interpretation of the grand reading rooms associated with great research collections’. The…

Finland’s most ambitious library has a lofty mission, says Helsinki’s Tommi Laitio: It’s a kind of monument to the Nordic model of civic engagement. You might say, “Yes, of course I love the library.” We do, too. But I’m not sure anyone loves libraries quite like the Finns do. In a country that boasts one…

A spectrum of vivid hues were incorporated throughout a mixed-use building in Chicago by John Ronan Architects that contains a public library at ground level and low-cost senior housing up above. The Independence Library and Apartments are located in the Irving Park district on the city’s Northwest Side. The area features a mix of historic…

Wutopia lab has recently completed the design of Duoyun books’ flagship store on the 52nd floor of Shanghai‘s tallest building, Shanghai tower. Titled ‘Books above clouds’, the project was commissioned by Shanghai century publishing and includes a variety of functions including a bookstore, a lecture room, exhibition space and a cafe. Providing more than just…

The new Snøhetta-designed Charles Library at Temple University has opened its doors in Philadelphia for the start of the fall 2019 semester. Located at the intersection of two principal pedestrian streets, the project acts as a new social and academic site for the university’s students. Developed in collaboration with Stantec, the design reinterprets the traditional…