Newsweek - 06.03.2020

Culture

62 NEWSWEEK.COM

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

Mexico City, Mexico

Known as the mega library,

the interior of this library

is more akin to a massive

storage facility than a library.

The open interior has towering

ʀooring of open grates that

create a labyrinth effect,

and surrounds the “Matrix

Mobile” by Gabriel Orozco—

a sculpture transformed from

the skeleton of a gray whale.

The exterior is surrounded

by almost 6 ½ acres of

lush gardens devoted to

plants endemic to Mexico.

Kansas City Library
Kansas City, Missouri
Along the south wall of this parking
garage’s exterior, visitors are treated to
what looks like a huge shelf of books.
The building originally served as a bank,
which is readily apparent when the
library has screenings in its Vault Theater,
inside an actual 1925 bank vault.

Stuttgart City Library

Stuttgart, Germany

Opened in 2011, this nine-story

public library designed by Yi

Architects is characterized by

its stunning white-on-white

color scheme (lit by blue light

at night), its bold cubic shape

and its cavernous interior. This

cultural center for the city,

designed to feel open and full of

light, can be entered from any of

its four sides, and patrons can

borrow artwork as well as books.

Biblioteca Sandro Penna

Perugia, Italy

In a country known for classical architecture and

historical buildings, Biblioteca Sandro Penna stands

out for its modern aesthetic. Housing books and

multimedia, this library was built in 2004, is named

after a local poet and it is easily identiɿable by its

circular pink glass top reminiscent of a ʀying saucer.

The Camel Library Service

North Eastern Province, Kenya

To combat low literacy rates in the desert of Kenya,

the government created a roaming library composed

of nine camels bringing books to villages. The library

travels four days a week serving the region’s nomadic

people. Currently the service focuses on children,

but with more funding they plan to increase their

reach both in distance and the titles they carry.

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01: JOHN DILLON

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ʔUNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP

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ZHANG CHENG

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ʔCORBIS

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