A spaceship, a moving tank, a Rubik’s cube, a sea snail’s shell — these unusual libraries will wake up the adventure junkie hidden inside every bibliophile. By Smrithi Suresh
1. Sandro Penna Municipal Library – Perugia, Italy
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This pink bubble-gum coloured three-storey disk is not an alien spaceship, but the Sandro Penna municipal library, named after a Perugian poet. Its unique architecture which includes the usage of rose-tinted glass walls allows sunlight to seep in during the day and creates a beautiful, warm glow at night. This library attracts not just bookworms but also tourists from across the planet. It houses almost 19,800 volumes and a variety of literature.
2. Biblioteca Vasconcelos – Mexico City, Mexico
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Biblioteca Vasconcelos is a mega library, loaded with almost 5,00,000 books and many art exhibition rooms. This library was built with a vision to represent an individual’s constant search for knowledge. Square-shaped shelves that suspend in mid-air, carefully house all old and new scriptures and books. The entire building is surrounded by plants, and its crystal halls and translucent floors make it an ideal spot for you to couple your book reading session with a scenic view of fauna.
3. Picture Book Library – Iwaki, Japan
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What started as a private library for pre-schoolers now stands as one of the most visited libraries in the world. Also known as Picture Book Museum, this place was set up to provide more than a thousand picture books from across the world to nearby kids. Its unique collection of international kindergarten literature will take you back to your childhood days. Another interesting fact about this library is that the patterns on its books are so bright that they act as the only source of colour in this dimly-lit space. Moreover, when here, you can easily catch a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.
4. Weapon of Mass Instruction – Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Unlike conventional libraries which stand erect in the form of a building, this is actually a 1979 Ford Falcon that has been converted into a tank-shaped mobile library. It’s the brainchild of an Argentinian artist Raul Lemesoff, who drives it around the streets of Buenos Aires and nearby smaller towns, distributing books for free, but upon a condition that people read them. The vehicle has an impeccable framework that could carry 900 books.
5. Stuttgart City Library – Stuttgart, Germany
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Stuttgart City Library resembles a Rubik’s cube, covered with a colour combination of white and grey. The man behind the unique design of this five-storey atrium — Korean architect Eun Young Yi — has connected every floor with open staircases, which makes it easier for you to move inside the library. But as you walk through the white corridors, it doesn’t take long before you get lost in the array of literature.
6. Rapana– Varna, Bulgaria
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Rapana is a street library created by a team of Varna-based architects to encourage book reading among the youth. Its shape is inspired by a shell of a sea snail and the whole street library has been built with the help of 240 pieces of wood. This open library comes with a collection of 1,500 books, a seating area and a small stage for street artists.
7. Haskell Free Library and Opera House – US-Canada Border in Stanstead, Quebec & in Derby Line, Vermont, US
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The address of this library is enough to leave you intrigued, as it stands tall on US-Canada border, and not by mistake, but as a deliberate attempt to provide citizens of both the countries, equal access to literature and cultural activities. You’ll be shocked to know that as you enter the library from the front door, you stand in the US, whereas, for stacks of books you’ll have to search in Canada. In fact, here the reading room has a borderline separating USA and Canada that allows you to be in both the countries at the same time.
8. Bokbaten Epos – Hordaland, Norway
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Bokbaten Epos, a floating library along Norway’s west coast allows you to lend books. Functional since 1959, this library accommodates approximately 6,000 books, and was started with an aim to provide access to isolated communities on the coast. It also offers live entertainment such as theatre and music.
9. Taipei Public Library – Beitou, Taiwan
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Taipei Public library is Taiwan’s first eco-conscious library. It comprises of large windows which allows light to enter, hence reducing consumption of electricity. Nestled amidst lush greenery, this place offers an amazing collection of books that you can easily read in broad daylight without using electricity.
10. Bibliothèque nationale de France – Paris, France
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This national library has four glass towers in the shape of an open book. It is encompassed by thick forests of Scotch pine and the storeys are protected by movable wooden shutters. This place offers an extensive collection of historical books. A walk through its photography exhibits is sure to take you through the bygone era of France.
Related: Wander Through The Aisles Of LocHal Library — The ‘World Building Of The Year’
