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...

Dutch street artist Jan is De Man, in collaboration with Tattoo and graffiti artist Deef Feed, have painted a massive bookcase on the side of an apartment building in Utrecht, Netherlands. The Trompe l’oeil mural features a three-level bookcase —...

Chinese architecture studio MAD has designed a library in the city of Haikou, China that is intended “to be a wormhole that transcends time and space”. Named the Wormhole Library, the structure is currently under construction within Century Park overlooking...

Kengo Kuma & Associates, in collaboration with Mad Arkitekter and Buro Happold Engineering, have been selected as the winning proposal for the new Ibsen Library in Skien, Norway. The project pays tribute to world-renowned playwright, Henrik Ibsen, by creating an...