Library of Parliament in Ottawa, Canada

Since its creation on Parliament Hill in 1876, the Library of Parliament serves as the main research center for the government of Canada. Architects Chilion Jones and Thomas Fuller pulled design inspiration for the main reading room’s vaulted ceiling and delicately carved white pine paneling from the British Museum Reading Room. Just as stunning as the interior, the entrance to the Victorian High Gothic institute showcases stone carvings in floral motifs and 16 flying buttresses. The statue of Queen Victoria by Marshall Wood stands over the 600,000 item collection, which is tended to by 300 dedicated curators.

Founded in 1679, the Biblioteca del Monasterio de Strahov is considered one of the most well-preserved historical librarie. With a collections of more than 200,000 works, some dating all the way back to the 16th century, the library of the Premonstratensian monastery in Strahov is one of the most valuable and best preserved libraries in Europe. The oldest part of the current library, the Hall of Theology, is in the Baroque style and dates from the years 1671 – 1674. The main hall, the Hall of Philosophy, whose vault is in the neo-classical style, was built in 1794 and exceeds in height the first two floors of the building. The ceilings of the rooms are covered with frescoes by Siardo Nosecký and Anton Maulbertsch. The Philosophers’ Hall presented a collection of rare species of different animals, minerals and simulated fruits.

Around 1492, Cardinal Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, then Archbishop of Siena, had the library built to honor the memory of his maternal uncle Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Pope Pius II), and to keep the important collection of works that the pope and humanist had incorporated in Rome. The library occupies the former chapter house of the canons which was on the northwest side of the Cathedral. Francesco Todeschini was inspired by the French tradition which provided for libraries annexed to cathedrals, as well as by the opening, in previous years, of the first Biblioteca Vaticana wanted by Sixtus IV, which summed up the intentions of the Renaissance to create a place which is both a center of study and one of the artistic expressions of the Modern Era. Inside, admire the magnificent collection of illuminated gospel books.

Upon stumbling into the Piccolomini Library, it's hard not to let out an audible gasp from seeing the glittering frescoes adorning the walls. The opulent library, located in the Duomo di Siena, features works by famous painter Pinturicchio and his workshop, who were tasked with creating scenes that celebrate Pope Pius II. Centuries-old manuscripts surround a marble sculpture of the Three Graces at the center of the vault.

Ten frescoes cover the upper part of the walls which surmount a series of showcases where precious illuminated manuscripts are exhibited. Arranged at the rate of four on each of the two lengths, and two above the entrance, they are devoted to ten episodes of the romantic existence of the great Sienese Pope Pius II, and treated in a way that aims to elaborate, starting from the smallest event in the pope's real life, a sort of legendary epic to the glory of the pontiff. The fourth wall is pierced by two high windows (fig. 1). The two essential curtains to avoid the direct contact of the day on the works are unfortunately not of the best effect.

The Piccolomini libreria is inside the Duomo of Siena. At no extra cost, you have access to it as soon as you enter the cathedral. Attention, tourists who are not very curious and a little fast will be able to miss this real jewel.

Access to the Piccolomini Bookstore is through a monumental entrance located in the left aisle of the nave of the Cathedral after passing through a bronze door, the work of Antonio Ormanni dated 1497.

Mafra National Palace is a former royal residence and Baroque-style monument located in Mafra, 25 kilometers northwest of Lisbon. Its construction began in 1717 under the reign of John V of Portugal, in fulfillment of the wish made by the young king, to whom Queen Marie-Anne of Austria had just given birth. Natural light floods through the numerous windows lining the hall, causing the rose, gray, and white marble floor to sparkle throughout the day. 

The Rococo splendor apart of the Palace of Mafra was built in 1771 by royal court architect Manuel Caetano de Sousa to be used as a museum.

In 1745, the Pope granted the royal commission permission to house “forbidden books,” which remain a part of the 35,000 leather-bound collection. It was classified as a National Monument in 1910. This Palace is part of the network of European royal residences.

The Royal Building of Mafra – Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park (Tapada) is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 7, 2019.

Serving as the cultural hub of Vennesla, Norway, the wood-and-glass library houses nearly 80,000 items in its collection along with a cafe and venues for concerts, shows, and art exhibitions. For their new library and community center in Vennesla, Norwegian architects Helen & Hard bring sophisticated elegance to public facilities in Norway. The project connects an existing community house and learning center and seeks to become an extension of the city's main square with its transparent facade and urban loggia. The expressive ribs combine structure, technical infrastructure and functionality in a single architectonic element that creates a dynamic aesthetic identity for the project, in order to respond to the original intention of the client to mark the cultural center of the city.

27 pre-fabricated glulam ribs define the spatial expression of the interior and their offset construction allows the curves to function as spatial interfaces with recessed lighting elements to give the interior a soft glow and accents. sound absorbers containing the air conditioning ducts. “In this project, we developed a concept of ribs to create workable hybrid structures combining a wooden construction with all the technical devices and the interior,” explained the architects. Ribs change throughout the interior to light up different spaces; at the main entrance, the rib runs the full width of the building, then slowly condenses to create more intimate rooms. While the roof of the building is influenced by the geometry of curves, the massing follows the natural lines of the site and responds to the main street by bending towards it.

The project, typical of Helen & Hard's work, also aims to reduce the need for energy through the use of high-level energy saving solutions in all new parts of the project. The library is a 'low energy' building, defined as class 'A' in the Norwegian system for defining energy use.