Style & Culture

The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World

With iconic architecture, impressive art collections, and lush gardens, these libraries have more than just books on display.

By Anna Borges and Caitlin Morton

April 16, 2024

Bookworms and masters of the Dewey decimal system know not to judge anything by its cover, but when it comes to the most beautiful libraries around the world, we’re more than happy to appreciate the best of the best based on appearances alone. Well, not entirely—the extensive collections housed in these erudite institutions are nothing to overlook, even when compared to soaring shelves, vaulted ceilings, and ingenious designs.

From Los Angeles to Tokyo, these 26 libraries promise an unforgettable experience for all who appreciate scholarly style and immaculate craftsmanship. So whether you're a literature lover or an architectural aficionado, you’ll want to add at least one of the world’s most beautiful libraries to your bucket list. (And if you generally nerd out on beauty and knowledge, be sure to add a museum or two to your itinerary as well.)

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

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The Admont Monastery Library, Austria
We won’t be the first to say that this late Baroque masterpiece—initially completed around 1776 and considered the largest monastery library in the world—looks like something out of a fairytale, and for good reason. With its abundant natural light, elaborate ornamentation, and ceiling frescoes painted in whimsical pinks, blues, and golds, it’s difficult not to get sucked into the splendor of the vast hall. Keep an eye out for “secret doors” nestled in the hall’s famous white and gold bookcases, covered with faux books to hide unsightly disruptions in the beautiful, continuous shelves.
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Tama Art University Library, Tokyo
Completed in 2007, Tokyo's Tama Art University Library may be modern in design—think concrete arches, glass walls, minimalist furniture, and tidy rows of computers—but it still manages to have a classic, almost ancient feel. Perhaps the 100,000 books add a touch of archaism, or perhaps it's because the sleek structure sort of resembles a vaulted wine cellar. Either way, this complex structure certainly belongs on every architecture lover's bucket list.

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George Peabody Library, Baltimore
Easily one of the most beautiful libraries in the U.S., the George Peabody Library (part of Johns Hopkins University) contains over 300,000 volumes stacked in five decorative tiers. The books are impressive, sure, but the cathedral like-atrium, marble floors, and wrought-iron details are the main draw here. Is it any wonder the library has become one of the most popular wedding venues in Baltimore?
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Tianjin Binhai Library, China
If China's Tianjin Binhai Library looks familiar, it's probably because photos of the building's futuristic design went viral when the building opened its door in 2017 (It received over 10,000 visitors per day back then, and continues to be Tianjin's top tourist attraction.) Designed by Dutch firm MVRDV, the library features a huge luminous sphere (called 'The Eye') in the middle of an auditorium, cathedral-like vaulted arches, and undulating floor-to-ceiling shelves. There's just one catch: The highest, inaccessible shelves don't actually have books on them—instead, they hold aluminum plates printed with book images. But hey, smoke and mirrors can be beautiful too.

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The Library of El Escorial, Spain
Not only is this Spanish library a work of art, it’s also part of a UNESCO World Heritage site. Originally commissioned by King Philip II in the 16th century, the library’s most dazzling feature is a series of seven frescoes that depict the liberal arts (music, rhetoric, astronomy, and so on). The town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, which is about 45 minutes outside of Madrid, has long been a favorite of Spanish royals, and there’s plenty more to see here beyond the library, including a monastery, gardens, and the pantheons of former princes and kings.
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Starfield Library, South Korea
You might not expect to discover a beautiful library in a shopping mall, but entering this small city of books in Seoul’s COEX Mall is like stepping into a book lover’s paradise. With towering metal shelves, ambient lighting, and plenty of places designed to park out across its two floors, Starfield’s casual but awe-inspiring space was designed to encourage visitors to sit and enjoy its collection of roughly 70,000 books and 600 magazines.

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Royal Library of Denmark, Copenhagen
Originally built in 1648 and renovated to its current state in 1999, this temple of books is affectionately dubbed the “black diamond” due to the glossy black metal flanking the transparent glass center. Inside, you’ll encounter a rich collection of European literature, notably Danish works like philosopher Søren Kierkegaard's manuscripts and the first-known Danish book. Alongside literary treasures, visitors can experience the national photography museum, a café, a performance hall, and an abstract fresco by Danish artist Per Kirkeby on the ceiling.
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National Library of Finland, Helsinki
Located next to Senate Square and the Helsinki Cathedral, the National Library of Finland is easily one of the most stunning buildings in the country. The main building was designed in the early 19th century, with architect C.L. Engel pulling inspiration from Classicism with Corinthian columns, a central rotunda, and halls coated with stucco marble. Renovations in the 2010s restored the building's wooden floors and ceiling murals to their former glory and added an underground kirjaluola (Finnish for “book cave”) to store some of the library's three million books.

Deichman Bjørvika, Oslo Public Library
Deichman Library, Norway
While the Oslo Public Library first opened in 1785, its newest main building only opened to the public in 2020. Its contemporary architecture emphasizes diagonal lines and light and features a sleek blend of glass, steel, and concrete. Whether you’re hanging out in the spacious atrium, grabbing a spot on one of the airy mezzanines, or heading to the top floor of the view of the Oslo fjord, you can admire how this modern marvel seamlessly integrates architectural innovation with functional spaces, making it a must-visit destination for tourists and a vibrant community hub for locals.
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Strahov Monastery Library, Prague
The Strahov monastery in Prague was originally founded in 1143. Despite wars, fires, and other disasters, the order endured and built its library in 1679. The library's best-known features are its remarkable ceiling, which is covered in Biblical frescoes, and the "compilation wheel" that turns to rotate shelves in order to make books easier to find without knocking any of them over.

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Central Public Library Branch, Seattle
Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the Seattle Public Library's central branch building juts out of the downtown skyline. The glass-and-steel edifice stands 11 stories tall, and due to its location on a hill, you can enter and exit on different floors. The inside pops thanks to a vivid green color used as a decorative touch on walls and in the elevator—fitting, since Seattle’s nickname is “the Emerald City.” Head to the 10th-floor reading room to take in views of the city, including Elliott Bay.
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Stockholm Public Library, Sweden
Stockholm's public library was designed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund, who is also known for his work on the Skandia cinema and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Woodland Cemetery. The round main hall has books in every Nordic language and a white, textured roof that was designed to look like clouds.

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Central Public Library, Vancouver
If the Vancouver Central Public Library looks familiar to you, that’s because it was modeled after another famous building: Rome’s iconic Colosseum. The nine-floor library complex takes up an entire city block, and includes office space, coffee shops, and retail on the ground floor. One of its most striking features is a rooftop garden designed by Safdie Architects.
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Stuttgart City Library, Germany
Situated in a concrete cube in the heart of southern Germany, this isn't your average library. The main attraction—a five-story reading room shaped like an upside-down pyramid—looks more like an M.C. Escher drawing than a library, until you notice the hundreds of thousands of neatly stacked books, that is. Cozy? Not really. Beautiful? You bet.

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Royal Portuguese Reading Room, Rio de Janeiro
Yes, this is a library, but really, it's more like a palace devoted to books. The famous Jerónimos Monastery inspired its limestone exterior in Lisbon, where it was built before being shipped to Rio de Janeiro. And the interior is just as resplendent: There’s a red, white, and blue stained glass window letting natural light in through the ceiling, while a silver, marble, and ivory altar welcomes visitors into the building.
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Bodleian Library, Oxford, England
The next time you're in London, set aside some time to take a day trip to Oxford—specifically the Bodleian Library. The library has been in use since the 1300s (that's practically a thousand years), and its 12 million printed items continue to attract researchers and travelers from around the world. Aside from housing museum-worthy tomes (like the first editions of Jane Austen’s Emma and Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species), the library's many buildings are as beautiful as they come—make sure to stop by the 15th-century Divinity School and Old Bodleian Library.

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Vennesla Library and Culture House, Norway
Located near the southernmost tip of Norway, Vennesla's library is more than a collection of books—it's a city cultural center and meeting place. The building hosts a coffee shop, open meeting spaces, classrooms for adult education courses, and a cinema. The long, thin wooden beams on the library's interior were designed to look like the inside of a whale.
Courtesy The Morgan Library
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York City
If you've ever wondered what a multimillionaire's personal library looks like, look no further than the Morgan Library & Museum. Spread among three buildings once owned by financier J.P. Morgan, this Madison Avenue landmark includes galleries, libraries, a performance hall, and, of course, Morgan's private book collection. Trust us, the library is worth the hype, with gold decorations, fresco-covered ceilings, and three floors of bookshelves—some connected by secret passageways.

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Cardiff Central Library, Wales
The Welsh capital has a rich tradition of nurturing libraries, dating back to 1861 when its first one was constructed with public funding. The newest library on the block, wrapped in 2009, features tall, slender panels of blue, black, and green glass, cleverly designed to mimic the spines of books. As night falls, a striking steel sculpture called Alliance glows, illuminating words in both Welsh and English and creating a captivating spectacle that celebrates Cardiff's literary heritage and cultural journey.
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Trinity College Library, Dublin
Dublin's Trinity College houses the Book of Kells, a ninth-century manuscript penned by monks in amazingly intricate fonts and illustrations. Each page is like its own work of art. When you’re done perusing the famous tome, pay a visit to the library’s Long Room; staring down the 200-foot-long hallway stacked with 200,000 old books might just give you chills.

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Beitou Public Library, Taiwan
As much as we love them, printed books may not be the most eco-friendly things in the world. But everything else about the Beitou Public Library in Taipei, Taiwan, is ultra-green, thanks to a design meant to keep energy and water consumption at a minimum. The two-story wooden building's slanted roof almost makes the library look like it’s winking at you. There are balconies along the sides, too, complete with rocking chairs where you can curl up with your favorite novel.
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Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City
Biblioteca Vasconcelos in beautiful CDMX is truly something to behold. Inside, you'll find more than 470,000 books stacked in hanging shelves, with curious details like see-through floors and a white whale skeleton on display. Outside, the 820-foot building (made of concrete, steel, and glass) sits in the middle of a lush botanical garden containing flora native to Mexico. So if you're looking for a little nature with your culture, you know where to go.

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Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt
Alexandria was once home to the most famous library in the world. Now, Egypt pays homage to its biblio-heritage with this sleek granite building. The circular structure, designed by Norwegian firm Snøhetta, is covered in carvings done by local artists and sits next to a large reflecting pool. Although there are plenty of books in three languages (Arabic, French, and English), there are also museums, a planetarium, and a lab dedicated to restoring and preserving ancient manuscripts.
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State Library of South Australia, Adelaide
You might not guess it from the outside, but this ultramodern glass box hides a historic interior fit for all your boarding school fantasies, with ornate columns, wrought iron balconies, and dark woodwork. The main reading rooms feature rows of wooden bookshelves housing a wealth of books and historical documents. Its collection places particular emphasis on Australian history, works by Indigenous authors, and maps.

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Richard J. Riordan Central Library, Los Angeles
The Central Library is one of downtown Los Angeles's most significant buildings. On the outside, it's a prominent example of Art Deco design, but on the inside, there's an elegant rotunda whose centerpiece is a bronze chandelier, a sweeping staircase that used to lead to the card catalogs (everything's digitized now, of course), and decorative stencils depicting important moments in California history.
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Wenckheim Palace Library, Hungary
This hidden gem, the main branch of Budapest’s broader Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library, is tucked away in a 19th-century neo-baroque palace. While it might seem like a deceptively normal public library when you enter, the fourth-floor royal reading rooms stun with glowing chandeliers, spiral staircases, and of course, plenty of books. Whether you grab one there or bring your own, something to read is a must-have when you visit, tourists say—there’s no better way to take in the atmosphere when you're visiting one of our 24 Best Places to Go in 2024.

TopicsArchitecture, Design & Interiors Books & Literature

The Admont Monastery Library, Austria

Tama Art University Library, Tokyo

George Peabody Library, Baltimore

Tianjin Binhai Library, China

The Library of El Escorial, Spain

Starfield Library, South Korea

Royal Library of Denmark, Copenhagen

National Library of Finland, Helsinki

Deichman Library, Norway

Strahov Monastery Library, Prague

Central Public Library Branch, Seattle

Stockholm Public Library, Sweden

Central Public Library, Vancouver

Stuttgart City Library, Germany

Royal Portuguese Reading Room, Rio de Janeiro

Bodleian Library, Oxford, England

Vennesla Library and Culture House, Norway

The Morgan Library & Museum, New York City

Cardiff Central Library, Wales

Trinity College Library, Dublin

Beitou Public Library, Taiwan

Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt

State Library of South Australia, Adelaide

Richard J. Riordan Central Library, Los Angeles

Wenckheim Palace Library, Hungary

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