Library or work of art? You decide.
This is straight out of a book lovers' fantasy! If you have always imagined yourself surrounded by books of every type, the tide sure is coming in here. We're talking of the Sea of Books library in China, in Hangzhou, that has been designed in such a way that it looks like cascading waves of books swathe you. Remember that well-lit library in the movie National Treasure with secrets hidden in the shelves? Or even the one from the fantasy-fuelled Harry Potter franchise where Hermoine her gang go to study wizrdry? The Sea Of Books library jumps form reel to real and it's a must-visit.
Book this design
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Regarded as a complete architectural marvel, this five-story edifice - also known as The Tianjin Binhai Library - notches things up on the futuristic and cool scale. The 'waves' are courtesy an undulating shelf design that runs through all the floor-to-ceiling bookcases. The library also has an extremely spacious style with immersive lighting in its 362,744 sq ft area allowing readers to have a unique immersive experience. Fluidity is the key word here with the wave-like shelves making for a book space as well as doubling up as place to sit, chat, browse and use as stairs. A spherical auditorium at the centre also grabs the spotlight. We sure would love to be lost at sea, here!
5 Other cool libraries across the world
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- The Admont Monastery Library, Austria
- The Library of El Escorial, Spain
- Deichman Library, Norway
- Qatar National Library