5 of the best
Words: Sophy Grimshaw Book and learBook and learn These monuments to the written word demand a different kind of holiday reading Zurich University libraries are rarely as effortlessly stylish as the main library at the University of Zurich, with its soft curves of pale wood and glass which evoke an organic shape. Even non-students can [...]
Words: Sophy Grimshaw
Book and learBook and learn
These monuments to the written word
demand a different kind of holiday reading
Zurich
University libraries are rarely as effortlessly stylish as
the main library at the University of Zurich, with its
soft curves of pale wood and glass which evoke an
organic shape. Even non-students can visit the library,
which houses over a million academic texts and
hundreds of reading desks. Zurich ranks in the top 10
universities in Europe and the top 50 worldwide, and
counts Albert Einstein among its alumni.
Main Library, University of Zurich, Strickhofstrasse 35,
Zurich, +41 (0)44 635 4731;
www.hbz.uzh.ch.
Chicago
This city is awash with
literary talent – Jurassic Park
author Michael Crichton
and sci-fiking Philip K Dick
both hail from Chicago. The
Harold Washington Library
Centre offers free tours and a
one-day access pass for new
visitors to the landmark. Its
famous reading room – the
glass-roofed “winter garden”
– even has olive trees.
Harold Washington Library
Centre, 400 South State
Street, Chicago, +1 312 747
4999;
www.chipublib.org
Copenhagen
A futuristic new main
library is in the pipeline
for Copenhagen. The
planned Scala Tower is
a twisting skyscraper
which will house a stateof-
the-art city library
on its first six floors,
with terraced reading
rooms and a conference
centre. A hotel, spa,
cinema, restaurant and
offices will occupy the
remainder of the space.
Scala Tower, Axel Square,
Copenhagen;
www.big.dk
London
Multi-hued Peckham
Library is one of south
London’s most eyecatching
buildings. A
deliberately conspicuous
symbol of the area’s
ongoing cultural
regeneration, it won
the Stirling Award For
Architecture on its
opening in 2000.
Peckham Library,
122 Peckham Hill
Street, London,
+44 (0)20 7525 2000;
www.southwark.gov.uk
Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s new
Open Bare Bibliotek
is the biggest public
library in Europe. It
opened last summer
and includes a separate
exhibition space, theatre
and reading café. It’s
worth visiting just for
the panoramic view of
Amsterdam on offer
from the restaurant.
Open Bare Bibliotek,
Oosterdokskade 143,
Amsterdam, +31 (0)20
523 0800;
www.oba.nl
