15 most interesting and unusual libraries in the world

What associations does the word library have for you? Maybe you can imagine boring rooms with dusty shelves, on which stand time-worn books. Or you imagine huge archival racks storing tons of documents and folders. Whatever picture your imagination draws, it is unlikely that it will even remotely remind you of those book depositories that we are going to talk about today in our article.

This collection will turn your mind over, and you will forever change your mind about how rare and unique books are stored. So, are you ready to find out where the most unusual libraries of the world are located?

Trinity College Library

This literary treasury located in Dublin is one of the most beautiful and unusual libraries in the world, which has become a permanent abode for the famous illustrated book of Kells, created in 800 by Irish monks. The facility is located in five buildings, four of which relate to Trinity College and one to St. James's Hospital. The main hall of the Old Library, called the "Long Room", stretches for 65 meters. It was built between 1712 and 1732, and today it houses more than 200,000 of the oldest literary works.

Initially, the “Long Room” was an open gallery with a flat ceiling, where the volumes were placed only on the shelves of the first floor. But at the beginning of the 19th century, the library received the right to keep in its walls a copy of each book published in Ireland and the United Kingdom, and shelving became insufficient. In 1860, it was decided to expand the book depository and install an upper gallery in it, for which it was necessary to raise the ceiling by several meters and convert its flat shape to vaulted.

Austrian National Library

The Austrian National Library, located in Vienna, is Austria’s largest book depository, with a diverse collection of over 7.4 million books and 180 thousand papyri, the oldest of which date back to the 15th century BC. e. Founded by the Habsburg monarchial dynasty, it was originally called the Imperial Library, but in 1920 acquired its modern name.

The library complex includes 4 museums, as well as numerous collections and archives. The main mission of the repository is to collect and archive all publications published in Austria, including electronic media publications.

A distinctive feature of this building was its original decoration: the walls and ceilings are painted with frescoes, and the building itself is decorated with numerous sculptures. That is why this library is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.

Library of Congress

Another beautiful book depository is located in the US capital - in Washington. It was founded in 1800 after the signing by President John Adams of an act to transfer the capital of the country from Philadelphia to Washington. Then the head of state set out to create an unusual library, which could be used only by a special group of dedicated people from the government. Today, the doors of the storehouse are open to all comers over 16 years old, however, some of its archives are still classified as “secret” and are not accessible to ordinary people.

The Library of Congress is considered the largest in the world, where millions of books, manuscripts, records, photographs and maps are stored. The first printed edition of the US Declaration of Independence (1776) was a valuable library item. This is the oldest federal cultural institution in America and is the research center of Congress. Under US law, any publication published in a country must have an additional copy intended to be sent to the Congress Repository.

National Library of France

Our list of interesting libraries of the world also included the French National Book Depository, located in Paris. This literary treasury, which has royal origins, was founded in 1368 in the Louvre Palace by King Charles V. But in 1996, the vault received a new cloister in a complex of structures consisting of four towers built in the form of an open book.

The collection of an unusual library is unique and has no analogues in the world. It contains 14 million books, printed documents, manuscripts, photographs, maps and plans, as well as old coins, medals and decorative elements. Here you can also find audio and video documentation and explore multimedia exhibits.

In the National Library of France, visitors can find comprehensive, comprehensive information, whether scientific or artistic. Annually, thanks to donations and contributions, the collection of the store is replenished with 150 thousand new documents.

Stuttgart City Library

One of the best libraries in Germany is located in Stuttgart. The external architecture of the building, which is an ordinary cube, is quite simple and is unlikely to cause interest, but its internal design is a hymn to modernity and innovation. The book depository built in 2011 is located on 9 floors, each of which is dedicated to a separate topic, for example, art or children's literature.

Here you will not find traditional reading rooms with creaky furniture, but you will be pleasantly surprised by the futuristic sofas with pillows. Well, specially equipped cabins for using the Internet and listening to music only complement the innovative surroundings of the room.

The unusual design inside the structure is designed not so much to amaze the imagination, as to draw the attention of visitors exclusively to books. Nevertheless, professional publications have deservedly appreciated the architecture of the city storage of Stuttgart and included it in the list of 25 most beautiful libraries in the world.

Aberdeen University Library

In September 2012, Queen Elizabeth II announced the official opening of the new library of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. An unusual building with a total area of ​​15,500 square meters. meters has become the center of educational and research activities of university students. During the first year of operation, more than 700 thousand visitors visited the institution. About 250 thousand volumes and manuscripts are stored here, there is a reading room for 1,200 people, and there is also an exhibition gallery, where exhibitions and seminars are often held.

The unusual modern architecture of the building deserves special attention: its facade is a combination of glass and plastic white lines, and the futuristic atrium, spread over 8 tiers of the building, became the center of the interior. Thanks to its design, this library has rightfully earned the status of one of the most unusual and beautiful in the world.

Bodlian library

The Bodley Library, located in Oxford, is one of the oldest in Europe and the second largest in Britain, with over 11 million books and documents. It is here that copies of all publications published in England and Ireland come. The beautiful book depository occupies five buildings, and also has several branches in the country's colleges and universities. It is noteworthy that it is not possible to take the book out of the building: visitors can study copies only in special reading rooms.

The Bodlian library was built in the 14th century, survived several redevelopments and extensions. Her calling card was the unusual Radcliffe rotunda, where for the most part medical and scientific literature is stored. Earlier, the rules of the institution forbade visitors to take photocopies from books, but today the requirements have been relaxed, and now everyone has the opportunity to make copies of copies issued after 1900.

Joanine Library

One of the most beautiful libraries in the world is located at the University of Coimbra in Portugal. The repository was built in the 18th century during the reign of the Portuguese king Juan V and named in his honor. The construction consists of three halls separated by decorated arches. The best Portuguese artists worked on the unusual decoration of this literary treasury, decorating the ceilings and walls of the building with baroque paintings.

It contains more than 250 thousand volumes devoted to medicine, geography, history, philosophy, canon law and theology. This is a real national monument of unique historical value to the state, which has become one of the most beautiful sights in Portugal.

Royal library

This national library of Denmark, located in Copenhagen, is also part of the main metropolitan university. The unusual vault got its life in 1648 thanks to the monarch Frederick III, and today it is considered the largest in the Scandinavian countries. This place carries great historical value: after all, within its walls are numerous publications published since the beginning of the 17th century.

The building itself is presented in the form of two cubes made of glass and black marble, which cuts through a glass quadrangle. The new building is connected with the old library of 1906 by three passages. Inside the vault is a modern atrium of a wave-like shape, spread over 8 floors. Separately, it is worth noting the entrance to the reading room, which is decorated with a unique fresco of 210 square meters. meters. The Royal Book Depository, due to its color and unusual shape, is called the “Black Diamond”.

Escorial Library

The royal district of the Spanish city of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, located 45 km from Madrid, is the historical residence of the Spanish king. It was here that housed the unusual Escorial library, which is considered one of the largest in the world. The length of the main storage hall is 54 meters, and its height is 10 meters. Here, over 40 thousand volumes are stored on beautiful carved shelves, among which you can find valuable manuscripts, such as the Golden Gospel of Henry III.

The Escorial bookstore also contains Arabic manuscripts, historical and cartographic documents. Vaulted ceilings and walls of the structure are decorated with beautiful frescoes that depict 7 types of liberal art: rhetoric, dialectics, music, grammar, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy.

Marciana Library

National Library of St. The brand is housed in a Renaissance building in Venice, Italy. This is one of the first state repositories preserved to this day, where the greatest collection of classical texts and ancient manuscripts is concentrated.

The building is richly decorated with sculptures, columns and arches, and the interior of the structure is decorated with frescoes and paintings, which were worked by great Italian artists. Such decoration makes this literary treasury one of the most beautiful and unusual in the world. The repository has more than a million copies of printed publications, 13 thousand manuscripts and about 24 thousand publications dating from the 16th century. It contains real historical treasures: the will of Marco Polo, the original notes of Francesco Cavalli, codes of the name of Gonzaga and much more.

Clementium Library

Clementium is a historical complex of buildings in Prague, where one of the most beautiful libraries in the world is located. The storage built in 1722 is made in the Baroque style, and today its area is more than 20 thousand square meters. meters. This unusual structure has concentrated about 22 thousand of the rarest books that carry great historical value.

The decoration of Clementium is not just a beautiful interior, but a real art. Frescoed ceilings, antique furniture, ornate golden fencing and valuable editions on carved shelves - all this awaits visitors to one of the most interesting libraries in the world.

Library and Cultural Center of Vennesla

The most futuristic book depository in the world was founded in 2011 in the city of Stavanger, located on the west coast of Norway. The unique geometry of the roof of the building is based on 27 wooden arcs made from recycled lumber. In the center of each arc there is a comfortable reading corner.

During the construction of a modern structure, mainly wood was used, so the structure meets the highest environmental requirements. The library of Vennesla has more than once become a laureate of architectural competitions both in Norway and abroad.

Portuguese royal library

The Portuguese Royal Library, located in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, takes 4th place in the list of the most beautiful book depositories in the world. The unusual structure welcomes its visitors with a spiky facade with high windows and sculptures with bas-reliefs. And inside the structure you will find a Gothic interior in combination with a Renaissance style. The reading room of the store is amazing with its huge beautiful chandelier, a large ceiling in the form of a stained-glass window and an intricate mosaic floor.

This interesting library contains the most valuable literary materials, including more than 350 thousand volumes and rare books of the 16-18 centuries. Moreover, all copies are available in electronic versions. Thousands of copies of publications officially published in Portugal come here every year.

Victoria State Library

This is the largest bookstore in Australia, Australia, located in Melbourne. The library was founded in 1856, and its first collection consisted of about 4000 volumes. Today, the building covers a whole quarter and has several reading rooms, and more than 1.5 million books have been found in its vaults. Here are kept the famous diaries of Captain Cook, as well as records of the founding fathers of Melbourne - John Pasco Fokner and John Batman.

Inside, the building is decorated with beautiful carved stairs and carpets, as well as a miniature art gallery. Outside there is a green park where you can admire the unique sculptural monuments. The State Library of Victoria can rightfully be considered one of the most unusual book depositories in the world.

Conclusion

The most unusual libraries in the world have long become not only harbors of great knowledge, but also bright beautiful sights, where any knowledgeable traveler seeks to get. And visiting such repositories can forever change the mind about what real libraries should look like.