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glass triangular building

Sydney’s vibrant Green Square Library and Plaza collects and reuses rainwater

Former marshland in Sydney has been transformed into the new Green Square Library and Plaza, a striking project...

Brown boots with lake pine trees and snowy mountains

Guide to sustainable winter activities

Just because the temperature plummets and the daylight runs short doesn’t mean your bustling days need to end....

white patterned facade of a building

Calgary Central Library is wrapped in a striking, snowflake-like facade

Calgary’s new Central Library has just opened its doors to the public — and it’s a thing of elegant, energy-efficient...

library with glass walls and gold screens

Earthquake-resistant Christchurch Central Library is a stunning symbol of rebirth

Nearly eight years after multiple massive earthquakes ravaged the New Zealand city of Christchurch, Schmidt Hammer...

aerial view of multi-floor library with long wooden walkway surrounded by forest

This canopy walkway elevates Shenzhen library-goers into the treetops

A new pagoda-like library in China’s megacity of Shenzhen sweeps visitors above the tree canopy with an elevated...

main library room with maple paneling and skylights

A 17th-century Spanish hospital gets transformed into a cozy library

When Madrid-based design practice Murado & Elvira Architects won a competition to turn the ancient Sancti Spiritus...

Rendering of the school exterior

China’s first Slow Food Village will promote local foods and traditions

Rural-urban migration in China is at an all-time high, with experts estimating an influx of 243 million migrants...

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Yurt-inspired visitor’s center in China blends into its exceptional surroundings

This gorgeous visitor center in China was inspired by Mongolian yurts. Architecture firm HDD combined locally sourced...

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China’s first magazine library is housed in a renovated Beijing hutong

Local architects Fon Studio breathed new life into a Beijing hutong, converting the historic residence into the...

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Architecture students transform an old Alabama bank into a town library

A historic bank in a tiny Alabama town has been reborn into a surprisingly elegant library with looks rivaling...

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Green-roofed Kew Gardens Hill Library lures patrons indoors with a lifted facade

A branch library in New York City is luring the community indoors with a clever facade that lifts up at the corner...

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Gorgeous street library in Bulgaria offers 1,500 books for free

Nature inspired this stunning street library in Bulgaria, but it was computers that made the design possible. A...

Tianjin Binhai Library by MVRDV, Tianjin Binhai Library, China public library, futuristic libraries, eye-shaped buildings, illuminated topography, undulating bookshelves, spherical auditorium

China’s new futuristic library is unlike any we’ve seen before

MVRDV just completed the Tianjin Binhai Public Library, a spectacular cultural center that’s unlike any library...

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MVRDV wins bid for green-roofed Zhangjiang Future Park in Shanghai

MVRDV just unveiled competition-winning designs for Zhangjiang Future Park, a 100,000-square-meter park and cultural...

Rural Libraries and Resources Development Program, Obadiah Moyo, Zimbabwe, donkey, donkeys, donkey cart, donkey carts, donkey library, donkey libraries, mobile library, mobile libraries, library, libraries, books, reading, literacy

Donkey-drawn mobile libraries bring books to people in Zimbabwe

It's not always easy for people in rural Zimbabwe to visit a library, so Rural Libraries and Resources Development...

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Energy-conscious library that doubles as a “living room” breaks ground in Shanghai

Shanghai is adding yet another futuristic building to its modern skyline. The Chinese megacity just broke ground...

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Green-roofed Albion Library in Toronto feels like an extension of your living room

It’s no surprise that the Albion Public Library is one of the busiest libraries in Toronto—its welcoming and...

Iran, Tehran, Book Garden, Guinness World Records, library, books, education, academics,

World’s largest bookstore opens in Tehran, Iran

Book lovers, we’ve found your dream destination - the world’s largest bookstore just opened in Tehran, Iran....

Shenzhen Book City by Atelier Global, Shenzhen Book City, Long Hua arts district Shenzhen, breathable skin architecture, mixed use public space and library in China,

Breathable skin to wrap around stunning light-filled Book City in Shenzhen

Arts and culture aren’t thought of as Shenzhen’s strong suits, but the manufacturing megacity is making quick...

Ofis Arhitekti, modular design, wooden structures, temporary structure, library, Ljubljana, Slovenia, green architecture, temporary architecture, flexible spaces, concrete, cabin, temporary shelter, treehouse

These wooden blocks can be stacked up to create cabins, treehouses, and wilderness shelters

Most cabins lie flat upon the earth - but Ofis Arhitekti just unveiled a wooden retreat that's stacked up into...

National English Literary Museum by Intsika Architects, Green Star library, five star Green star building, Green Star architecture South Africa, Grahamstown library, National English Literary Museum, National English Literary Museum South Africa

South Africa’s first Green Star museum is an eco-friendly literary treasure

One of South Africa’s literary treasures has transformed into an eco-friendly gem. Designed by Intsika Architects,...

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Light-filled library doubles as a home-like environment in Shanghai

There’s nothing quite like curling up with a good book. Brooklyn-based nARCHITECTS imbues those feelings of comfort...

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This library shows how beautiful sustainable design builds community

This gorgeous new library just an hour’s drive from downtown Toronto is a true civic center with its welcoming...

Seth Thompson, San Francisco, California, Little Free Library, Little Free Library Design Competition, American Institute of Architects San Francisco, little library, little libraries, tiny library, tiny libraries, library, libraries, design, design competition, competition

6 delightful tiny library designs from around the world

Children and adults can now check out books for free from tiny libraries in over 50,000 neighborhoods in 70 different...

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Fan-shaped children’s library wraps around a large cedar in Henan

SLOW Architects found a low-tech yet elegant solution to a small primary school’s need for a library and reading...

Sebastian Irarrazaval, Constitución Public Library, library architecture, library design, architecture chile, wooden designs, wooden architecture, Constitución, Chile, prefabricated wood buildings, urban design, public libraries,

Spectacular library in Chile built with locally-sourced wood from earthquake-stricken town

Chilean architect Sebastian Irarrazaval designed this spectacular new public library in the city of Constitución,...

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Cedar Rapids turns tragedy into triumph with new LEED Platinum public library

Tragedy struck Cedar Rapids, Iowa in June 2008, when a devastating flood swept the city and destroyed hundreds...

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Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects unveils competition-winning design for the Shanghai Library

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects just unveiled plans for the new Shanghai Library that are every bit as impressive...

new york public library, book train, library, moving book around library, librarians, books, reading

This adorable red ‘train’ carts books around the New York Public Library

Some people worry about robots taking over their jobs, but librarians at the New York Public Library aren’t...

garage converted to library, garage conversions, Tjøme garage library conversion by NOMA Architects, tree-house like library, floor to ceiling bookshelves

Old garage is transformed into a daylit, treehouse-like library

NOMA Architects preserved the garage’s original 65-square-meter footprint, but added a combined library, kitchen,...

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