14 Literary Structures
From Latticed Libraries to Outdoor Book Rooms:
Meghan Young — Nov 10, 2009 — Art & Design
I have to admit that I'm afraid of the day that technology takes over, resulting in the extinction of library facilities. There are many who probably share this concern and so I have created a cluster of literary structures in the hopes that they will never die. This cluster does, however, give me hope because it seems that designers and architects are still interested in building literary structures around the globe.
14
The Library Hotel in New York City
13
Outdoor Book Rooms
The 24 Hour Library and Community Space in Magdeburg, Germany
12
Converted Church Bookstores
The Boekhandel Seleyz Dominicanen is a Dazzling Literature Display
11
Mercury Drop Architecture
The National Library in Prague is Futuristic Fantastic
10
Futuristic Looped Libraries
Bjarke Ingels Group Wins Competition to Design Astana National Library
9
Latticed Libraries
University of Helsinki City Campus Library by Anttinen Oiva Architects is Swank
8
Striking Bookworm Heavens
Libraries With Stunning Architecture Around the World
7
Modern Libraritecture
TANK Architects Constructs 21st Century Literary Havens
6
Giant Independent Bookstores
Powell'S Color-Coded Rooms and In-Store Maps Defy Big Chains
5
Fancy Bookstores
Motto Berlin Makes Buying Literature a Chic Experience
4
Literature Tribute Architecture
Knut Hamsun Center Pays Homage to the Norwegian Writer
3
Glow-in-the-Dark Libraries
The Exterior of the Aberdeen University Library Responds to Light
2
Ultra Hip Parisian Bookstore
Cool Hang Out
1
Reading Towers
MVRDV Creates 'Book Mountain' For Transparent Literature
Related Ideas
Venetian-Inspired Museum Designs
The Conceptual Floating Glass Museum is AI-Generated
Subterranean Japanese Libraries
This Underground Library is Situated Beneath a Sustainable Farm
3D-Printed House Neighborhoods
EYRC and Mighty Buildings Develop the Suburbs of the Future
Plant-Filled Latticed Buildings
Wallflower Architecture + Design Creates the Touching Eden House
Floating Meditative Pavilion Designs
The Crystal Lake Pavilion by Marc Thorpe Design is Tranquil
Corrugated Metal Barn-Like Houses
StudioAC Designs a New Home Overlooking Devil's Glen
Supermarket-Style Pavilions
Venice Architecture Biennale's Latvian Pavilion Has a Familiar Form
Temporary Cabin Hotels
Overtreders W Utilized Locally Sourced Materials for This Project
Twisting Donut-Shaped Bookshelves
The Hullabaloo Bookshelf by Deniz Aktay is Perplexing
Prefabricated Miniature Home Concepts
i29 Creates the Câpsula Concept for Dutch Design Week
Bookshelf Board Games
These Classic Board Games are Disguised as Vintage Books
Tubular Literature Storage Racks
The 'Interspace' Magazine Rack by Deniz Aktay is Multifunctional
Modular Cat Trees
The PETLIBRO INFINITY Cat Tree Supports Comfort, Relaxation & Play
Upcycled Book-Made Marbled Furniture
Willem Zwiers Designs the Tranformed Remnants Series
Community-Centric Headquarters
SPACE10 Embraces Community-Centric Design for Its Headquarters
Minimalist Book Storage Tables
The 'Pocket' Coffee Table by Deniz Aktay is Split Open
Mockup-Inspired Garden Structures
New Affiliates & Samuel Stewart-Halevy Create Testbeds
Incredibly Modern Lakeside Houses
Stephenson Design Collective Converts an Old Boy Scout Camp
Geometric Structural Forest Homes
The C House by GetAway Projects has a Half-Hexagonal Shape
Modern Multi-Purpose Japanese Buildings
Akio Isshiki Architect Overhauls an Old Wooden Building
Stunning Mid-Century Coastal Homes
Design Theory Updates a House from the 1960s
Electronic 3D Book Concepts
The bbook Concept is Designed for the Visually Impaired
Timber Nature Reserve Towers
The 'Lookout Tower' from Robert Gutowski Architects is Sculptural
Sliding Wintery Landscape Bookshelves
This Manhwabang Bookshelf by Jisu Kim is Whimsical
Breathtaking Library Designs
MVRDV Showcases Its Plan for a Massive Wuhan Library
Modernist Library Interiors
Superkül Renovates a Reading Room at Robarts Library
Glowing Tree-Surrounded Sheds
The 'Nightlight' Shed Glows After Dark for a Luminous Appearance
Bookshelf-Incorporated Coffee Tables
The Overlap Table by Deniz Atkay Boasts Multiple Purposes
Nature-Inspired Indoor Playgrounds
Sarit Shani Hay Designs a New Playground in Tel Aviv
Town-Like Classroom Designs
Atelier Apeiron Designs the Kindergarten of Museum Forest Building
Playful Public Seating Designs
The London Festival of Architecture Boasts a Series of Seats
Staggered TV Station Buildings
Albania's 'Klan TV' Building is Shaped Like a Stash Of Film Reels
Kilometer-Long Museums
Junya Ishigami Introduces the Zaishui Art Museum Along a Lake
Meticulous Paper-Stacked Chairs
Brian Thoreen Creates the Paragraphic in Four Stacks Chairs
Award-Winning Housing Designs
Hong-En Lin Emphasizes the Importance of Clean Water Access
Minimal Four-Legged Wooden Cabinets
ÆTHER/MASS Presents the Exposure Cabinet in Brussels
Multifunctional Restoration Projects
ODA and method Co Restores the Book Tower in Detroit
Traditionally Formed Gabled Homes
Studio Circle Growth Designs the Casa De Mi Luna
Socially Focused Sports Centers
MoDus Architects Reveal the Fieldhouse Sports Center in Italy
Bookstore Wine Shops
New York's Bibliotheque Offers Rare Books and Great Wine
Countryside Woodland Cabin Designs
BABELstudio Creates the Aralar Cottage in the Forest
Modular Modern Wooden Bookshelves
Kengo Kuma Designs the Marumarushikaku Shelf for More Trees
Toy Block-Inspired Wooden Bookshelves
Waiting Woood Designs the New Rotating Picture Book Rack
Earthy Tonal Tranquil Lounges
Cloud and Sabine Marcelis Create a Lounge Promoting AlUla
Rustic Vintage Transformed Barns
Lukas Lenherr Architektur Designs a New Wooden Barn in Mannedorf
Transformed Historic Bank Buildings
Ivy Studio Overhauls the Interior of a Historic Building
Bamboo-Inspired Cultural Buildings
This Cultural Center Seamlessly Blends Into its Surroundings
Traditional Japan-Honoring Homes
Cubo Design Architects Designs the C4L House in Tokyo
Monolithic Concrete-Clad Pavilions
Alberto Campo Baeza Collaborated with Miguel Quismondo
Subterranean Courtyard Galleries
Buzz Designs the Hermit Space Yards in Beijing Park
Caterpillar-Shaped Apartment Buildings
Undecorated Developed an Eye-Catching Metal Building
Greenery-Packed Museum Buildings
This Science Museum is Designed Around a Central Park
Elevated Timber-Clad Homes
Habitable Form Designs the Victory Bay House on Kiawah Island
Sustainably Built Canopied Buildings
Kevin Daly Architecture Designs a Foundation's Headquarters
Y-Shaped Community Pavilions
Sam Crawford Architects Creates a Red-Roof Pavilion in Sydney
Wooden Screen Stacked Houses
DB Arquitectors Designs the Casa VJC Iporanga In Brazil
Self-Sustaining Houses
Archiopteryx Designs the People Tree House in Noida, India
Railway Sleepers-Clad Buildings
Paddy Dillon Worked with Local Studios on the Roundhouse Works
Dynamic Bookend Lighting Designs
Notchi Architects Designs the Stair Table Lamp for Oblure
Library-Converted Modern Sheds
The Act of Quad Creates the Light Box in Mumbai, India
Banned Book Clubs
The DPLA's Banned Book Club Challenges Censorship
Mass-Timber Children's Museums
O'Neill McVoy Architects Designs the Bronx Children's Museum
Sleek Structural Lighting Designs
Hania Jneid Designs the Dynamic Emotional Lab Light
Ancient Construction Campus Buildings
Henning Larsen Designs a New Campus in Foroe Islands
Tea-Honoring Angular Libraries
Atelier Xi Designs the Interconnected Library and Tea Rooms
Mirrored-Detailed Garden Cafes
IDIN Architects Designs Structures for Nana Coffee Roasters
Slatted Wooden Suburban Homes
Pitsou Kedem Architects Designs the Wood Slatted House
Dynamic Geometric Bookshelves
Maryam Pousti Designs the Cheft Bookshelf Under Studio Pousti
Block Puzzled Book Nooks
The LEGO Book Nook is a Novelty Miniature Buildable Diorama
Minimalist Bird-Watching Pavilions
Jesús Vassall & Graduate Students Designed a Slick Pavilion
Optical Illusion Replica Artworks
Leandro Erlich Forms the Building in the Liberty Science Center
Rustic Recycled Wood Tables
The 'Primitive Structures' Table Design by Jongwon Lee is Stone-Like
Greenery-Sheathed Libraries
This Library Building Features Generous Plantings Of Native Species
Generously Glazed Spiral Buildings
This Building is Inspired By Czech Glassmaking Tradition
Digital Architecture Libraries
My ArchiSchool is Launching a New Resource in Summer 2023
Crystalline Chinese Museum Buildings
The 'Space Crystal' Building Looks Like An Otherworldly Rock
Industrial Architecture-Themed Installations
The Industrial Archaeology Series is Based on Design
AI-Generated Bookstores
BookBud.ai Launched a First-of-Its-Kind Bookstore and Library Hybrid
Local Craft-Shown Bamboo Pavilions
AtArchitecture Designs the Northeast Pavilion for an Art Fair
Locally Sourced Angular Cabins
Juri Troy Architects Designs the Straw Flea House in Murstetten
Floating-Style Classroom Designs
Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group Completes the Bloomberg Center
Metal-Wrapped Exhibition Spaces
Trace Architecture Office Creates a Structural Steel Wrap
Wooden Structural Outdoor Bedes
Marco Lavit Designs the Hut Lounge Bed for Ethimo
Community Hub Timber Pavilions
The Craft Not Carbon Pavilion Raises in London's Park
Japanese Woodwork-Inspired Shelving Units
Cozey Presents the New Altitude Shelving Line
Wave-Like Structural Art Centers
Studio Zhu-Pei Designs the Zibo OCT Art Center in Shandong
Modular Beam-Themed Furniture
The Beam Collection by Adam Weir has a Harmonious Structure
Boat-Inspired Community Center
Snøhetta & WERK Architecture Design the Esbjerg Maritime Center
Spiralled Roof Horticultural Centers
KPMB Architects Designs the Leaf Building in Winnipeg
Mass-Timber Lakeside Theaters
A Team Join Forces to Create the Theater of the Arts
Book Pile Retail Decor
A London Aesop Store Gets a New Decor Definition by Sebastian Cox
Clustered Natural Campus Extensions
OMA Creates a Cluster of Structures for Hongik University
Juxtaposing Contemporary Homes
Bates Masi Designs the Stony Hill Project with Various Volumes
Ergonomic Latticed Sofa Designs
Eva Schildt Designs the Gardener's Sofa for Design House
Mid-Century Modern Historical Homes
SHED Architecture & Design Creates the Lark House
Racket-Inspired Tennis Centers
Hopkins Architects Designs the All England Lawn Tennis Club
Expansive School Bamboo Canopies
CollectiveProject Creates a Canopy at Talaricheruvu Rural School
Traditional Garden-Inspired Cultural Centers
Open Architecture Designs the Shanfeng Academy
Geometric African Homes
Gregory Katz Architecture Designs the Great Primary Shapes Home
Landscape Seating Theater Designs
Matter Make Creates the Cinema Visiona Home Theater Project
Earthy Tonal Tiled Sheds
LMNL Office Designs the Studio Shed in Brabant, the Netherlands
Hidden Garden Timber Pavilions
Tikari Works Designs A Room Around a Tree in London
Halo-Like Skylight Homes
Tamara Wibowo Architects Designs the Halo House in Indonesia
Personality-Enhancing Side Tables
The ORDO Book Side Table Features Organized Nooks
Nature-Inspired Structured Seating
Alexander Lotersztain Designs the Twig Seating for Derlot
Natural Landscape-Surrounding Homes
All(zone) Designs the Under the Rain Trees Holiday Home
3D-Printed Public Pavilion Prototypes
Hassell Works with Nagami on a New Public Pavilion
Minimal Bird-Watching Cabins
Inclume Architects Designs the Cozy Hide Cabin in England
Spine-Based Central Design Buildings
Foster + Partners Designs the Hangzhou Center
Green-Timber Glad Office Spaces
Oslotre Designs the Lumber 4 on an Industrial Foundation
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Dynamic Architecturally Strong Bookshelves
Alain Gilles Designs the Dogma Bookshelves for BONALDO
Large Concrete Educational Buildings
Stanton Williams Introduces the UCL East Marshgate Building
Gabled Planted Courtyard Schools
Ateliers O-S and NAS Architecture Design the Samuel Paty School
Traditional Barn-Style Residences
Young Projects Designs the Six Square House in Bridgehampton
Lotus Flower-Inspired Villas
Thilina Liyanage Designs the Lotus Villa Inspired by Nature
Latticed-Steel Transport Hub Columns
Tremend Designs the Metropolitan Station in Lublin
Low-Lying Limestone-Clad Schools
Amelia Tavella Architectes Designs the Fossil Building
Glass-Lined Towering Libraries
Snøhetta Designs the Beijing City Library Located in China
Climate-Friendly Waterfront Homes
From 4 to 1 Creates Three Pavilions in Copenhagen
Illuminating Water-Based Pavillions
Daniel Ryabakken Installs the Shelter Pavilion in Stockholm
Lantern-Like Tea House Pavilions
Grau Architects Designs the Tea House Pavilion by the Lake
Industrial Warehouse-Inspired Offices
Carr Designs a New Office Block with Industrial Themes
Eco-Friendly Antarctic Research Buildings
The 'Discovery Building' Aims to Cut Carbon Emissions
Sculptural Timber Gathering Spaces
Lina Ghotmeh Designs the 2023 Serpentine Pavilion
Dolmen-Inspired Furniture Series
Weonrhee Designs the Primitive Structures Series of Furniture
Quote-Managing Book Tools
Quotely Let's Avid Readers Scan and Save Quotes for Future Reference
Nomadic Community-Themed Pavilions
Joar Nango Designs Girjegumpi: The Sámi Architecture Library
Sleek Timber-Constructed Sheds
Fabric Designs the Nightlight Shed in Akaroa, New Zealand
Vacant Wood-Clad Offices
Kurosawa Kawara-ten Designs the Ichihara Life and Work Commission Office
Terracotta-Clad University Faculties
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios Completes New Art Faculty
Timber-Framed Angular Libraries
Atelier WOA Designs the Escapade Library in France
Modular Wireless Speaker Bookends
Liam de la Bedoyere Designs the Beat Bookend with Two Functions
Book-Filled Mezzanine Lofts
Crystal Sinclair Designs Designs the Dumbo loft in Brooklyn
Tree-Inspired Panelled Workspaces
Hood Design Studio Creates a New Campus in Silicon Valley
Metal Sheet-Facade Book Stores
Wutopia Labs Designs the Shanghai Book City with a Dynamic Facade
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Reimagined Traditional Library Ladders
The Step by Step Ladder Offers a Refreshing New Design Take
Architectural Tranquil Cabin Retreats
Snøhetta Designs the Bolder Lodges in Lysefjord
Mass-Timber Research Pavilion
FLORA bythe IAAC is a Hillside Timber Pavilion in Barcelona