Libraries have always provided an important space for supporting children’s literacy and self-led learning. However, as modern educational needs continue to evolve, libraries are no longer just about books and have become places for active learning with community programmes, digital...

The newly completed library and culture house by Christensen & Co is the new living room for the small town of Viby, Denmark. The building is a place for lingering and staying, as well as a short-cut permeating the urban...

Architecture studios Mecanoo and OTJ Architects have added a rooftop garden and statement staircases to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library in Washington DC, as part of its renovation of the Mies van der Rohe-designed building. Dutch architecture office...

A responsive, people-centred front-of-house, is essential for today’s modern library. In this blog, we are exploring how to choose service desks that create comfortable and engaging spaces that are fit for purpose. In particular, we will focus on the new...

Maru Architecture has revitalised the central library of Matsubara in Osaka prefecture, Japan, by adding a monolithic extension floating on a serene pond. Modeled on a historical Japanese tumulus surrounded by large burial mounds and moats, the library, which is...

Responsive customer service is at the heart of today’s library front of house. However, beyond aesthetics and overall function, it is important to consider how the service desks themselves work organically with staff and customers to support well-being.  Specifically, it...

The right work setup is essential for creating healthy workspaces that support wellbeing.  The wrong setup contributes to issues related to repetitive strain, and it is important to create workspaces that are ergonomic and support healthy work practices.  A good...

Helsinki-based JKMM Architects has renovated and extended a library named Fyyri in the Finnish town of Kirkkonummi. The studio doubled the size of the previous library and wrapped it entirely in a copper facade to create a counterpoint to the...

The Yale University Center for Innovative Thinking by architecture studio Weiss/Manfredi is an elliptical glass pavilion for students on the New Haven campus. New York City-based Weiss/Manfredi designed the two-storey pavilion to stand out from the brutalist and gothic-style buildings...

The collaborative team of Mecanoo and MAYU Architects has completed a public library in Tainan — Taiwan‘s oldest city. The design references the history of the region, which comprises remnants of maritime trade with Europe from the 17th century, the...

by David Vinjamuri and Joseph Huberty 19 min read How do we move forward? As the pandemic swept across America, libraries across broad swaths of the country closed their doors to the public. In the following months, librarians watched as...

In Ontario’s city of Brampton, the Springdale Library and Komagata Maru Park by RDH Architects (RDHA) introduces an inclusive gathering place, a counterpoint to the otherwise flat suburban area, and a point of pride for the Canadian city. The project...