In addition to cafes with unique decor, there are many beautifully designed libraries around the world, perfect for literary enthusiasts to visit! Here are 6 selected ones that you definitely need to add to your travel bucket list!
//Super Romantic and Beautiful! Seoul Starry Sky Library 2.0//
The Starfield Library in the Coex Mall in Seoul has always attracted many people to come and take photos, and the Suwon City shopping center “Suwon Starfield” recently introduced a new “Starfield Library 2.0”, becoming the hottest spot on IG recently. Come here to take photos and check in while shopping!
This brand new starry library has a total of 4 floors, with a spacious feel, and its giant wooden bookshelves are about 22 meters high. There are over 60,000 books available for free reading, which is super spectacular! In addition, the library’s interior design introduces natural light through a glass dome, making it a top-notch spot to visit. Coupled with the dreamy decorations themed around the universe and planets, it feels even more romantic and beautiful!
Address: 111-14 Starfield, Teongji-dong, Cheongan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
//A must-visit for Murakami fans! Waseda International Literary Museum//
As fans of Haruki Murakami, it is a must for literary enthusiasts to make a pilgrimage to the Haruki Murakami Library at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan! Haruki Murakami studied drama at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, and the renowned architect Kengo Kuma personally oversaw the renovation of Building No. 4 next to the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum, turning it into the “International Library,” also known as the “Haruki Murakami Library”! The 5-story library has a simple and pure white exterior, surrounded by three-dimensional installations resembling waves. Inside, it features a wooden architectural style, with a wooden staircase between the B1 and 1st floors, and bookshelves extending to the roof on both sides, exuding a strong literary atmosphere!
Its collection is very rich, where you can find Haruki Murakami’s precious manuscripts accumulated over the years, donated books, works translated into various countries around the world, and a collection of nearly 20,000 records. It is worth mentioning that there is a room in the library designed to resemble Haruki Murakami’s study, allowing readers to step into Murakami’s literary world. In addition, there is a cafe, a recording studio, an audio-visual room, etc., where you can leisurely enjoy music and taste coffee!
Address: 1-6-1 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Further reading:
- New Line Friends restaurant opened by Macau MGM! Check-in with 11 characters/nearly 80 dishes/special merchandise area
- Anime fans must go! Fullmetal Alchemist exhibition coming to Hong Kong! First Steel Chain cafe/over 300 manga manuscripts and illustrations
- Enjoy the beautiful view of Victoria Harbour at this retro library-style restaurant in Causeway Bay! Must try the fusion of East and West with red shrimp and shrimp roe noodles/charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef
//360 Degree Bookshelf Check-in! Kadokawa Musashino Museum//
Designed by Kengo Kuma! The Musashino Art University Museum & Library in Tokyo, Japan combines a library, art museum, and museum all in one. Its exterior is made up of over 20,000 pieces of granite in different colors, creating an irregular polyhedron resembling a giant rock. Stepping inside, the visual impact is equally stunning!
The museum has a total of 5 floors, with the first floor featuring galleries, comic books, and light novel libraries, where you can find up to 50,000 collections! The fourth and fifth floors, which are in the same space, have a large “bookshelf theater” with 8-meter-high bookshelves filled with 350,000 collections published by Kadokawa Group, completely surrounded by a 360-degree sea of books!
Address: 3-31-3 Higashi-Tokorozawa-Wada, Tokorozawa, Saitama
//Reading in the bath! Taiwan’s “more than just a library”//
Reading in the bathhouse? This refers to the “More Than Just a Library” located in the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taiwan, which is a space converted from a Japanese-style bathhouse. It is divided into 3 areas, with the “Book Bath reading area” placing books in and around the bath, and even setting up a black round table in the pool for reading!
The “Bathhouse 澡堂區” features a nostalgic semicircular bath, with preserved architectural elements from the Japanese colonial period such as floral tiles and ventilation courtyards, creating an alternative “immersive” reading atmosphere. Additionally, there is a green “Breath 戶外花園” garden, allowing you to experience a fresh natural ambiance!
Address: No. 133, Guangfu South Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
//China’s Most Beautiful Library! Tianjin’s “Eye of Binhai”//
Located in the Cultural Center of Binhai New Area in Tianjin, the “Binhai Eye” is hailed as the “most beautiful library in China” and was designated as a “National First-Class Library” in December 2023. The library was jointly created by the Tianjin Urban Planning Design Institute and the Dutch architectural design firm MVRDV. With 6 floors and covering approximately 360,000 square feet, the library features a white color scheme, wide open spaces, and an elegant yet design-forward aesthetic!
The bookshelves on the library walls create continuous curves, filled with books, and the ceiling is decorated with images of book spines, creating a truly impressive sea of books! In addition, the library’s atrium features a giant sphere embedded with 400,000 LED lights, resembling a unique art installation that not only exudes a futuristic vibe but also lights up, making it look like an eye when viewed from outside the library!
Address: No. 347 Xusheng Road, Central Business District, Binhai New Area, Tianjin, China.
//Nordic design! Norway Deichman Bjørvika//
Located on the waterfront, Deichman Bjørvika is adjacent to the opera house and the central station, giving the impression of floating on the water from a distance. The library was designed by Atelier Oslo and LundHagem, with 6 floors and approximately 14,500 square feet, featuring a Nordic minimalist design with a blend of folded geometric structures, giving it a unique appearance.
The library’s exterior features a transparent glass curtain wall, while the interior cleverly extends 3 light axes from the ground to the roof, allowing natural daylight to penetrate indoors. In addition, the library houses approximately 450,000 materials including books, music, and films, and has introduced a fully automated library classification and borrowing system. It also offers interactive audiovisual devices, a mini cinema, workspaces, a restaurant, and more.
Address: Anne-Cath, Vestlys plass 1, 0150 Oslo, Norway
Image sources: Archilovers, ArchDaily, Pinterest, Upworthy, rurubu.jp, Lundhagem IG, Kadokawa Musashino Museum Facebook, Starfield.official IG, Starfield Facebook, Not Just Library Facebook
