American studios MSR Design and JRA Architect have completed a public library in Louisville featuring a sculptural, medal-clad exterior that is partly concealed by tall, leafy trees. The South Central Regional Library is part of the Louisville Free Public Library system – the largest public library system in Kentucky. The project was designed by MSR…

Atelier Jean Nouvel’s recently completed Stelios Ioannou Learning Resource Center, at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia, has been revealed in photographs by Yiorgis Yerolymbos. Named after Cypriot industrialist Stelios Ioannou, the library in the capital of Cyprus has been designed to look like an artificial hill. “It has been considered as an ‘earth-work’, a gentle…

X+Living was tasked with bringing Zhongshuge’s vision to life, ‘to create the most beautiful reading experience space for readers, where they harvest not only wisdom from books, but also the perception and sedimentation of life.’  In turn, the firm created an experiential space that moves guests and readers through landscapes that look as they came…

Ladybird-like wings open to reveal a micro movable library for children in China. In response to the ‘commercial sprawl’ of shared bicycles that are used and left all over our cities, LUO studio has recycled these abandoned bikes and created a micro movable library for children. Named ‘shared lady beetle’, the small, ingenious solution is…

The purpose of Studio Tylevich’s project is to preserve the memory of the previous library on this site before an expanded new library is built in its place. The old library, with its iconic oversized metal ‘library’ installation outside, held many memories for its patrons and passersby. The project team’s recently installed project celebrates the…

Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill has converted buildings in a former industrial district into a public library in Chicago, where original brick walls and bow trusses are on full display. The West Loop Branch library is named after its location in the city’s West Loop neighbourhood – a former industrial area that is now…

Colourful booths enliven Hayarden school for children of refugees in Tel Aviv A house-shaped reading nook and colourful paintwork are among the playful features in this school for the children of refugees living in Tel Aviv, which has been overhauled by a team of local architects and designers. The Hayarden school is designed for children aged…

A handsome 50 metre long sofa that twists like a snake is a true challenge for even the most experienced sneaker. But a 25 metre long shelf at seven meters height is even more complicated, if possible. Nevertheless, inventor manufacturer WO Interior has succeeded, which accounts for most of the interior of a newly renovated…

Architecture firms Snøhetta and Dialog have completed a new hub for Calgary’s public library system, with a crystalline exterior and an atrium clad in timber slats. The New Central Library, which opened to the public 1 November 2018, provides a larger home for the Canadian city’s literature collection and more space for programmed events. The…

Hernando Guanlao is a sprightly man in his early 60s, with one abiding passion – books. They’re his pride and joy, which is just as well because, whether he likes it or not, they seem to be taking over his house. Guanlao, known by his nickname Nanie, has set up an informal library outside his…