15 most beautiful libraries in the world

Below is a list of the 15 most beautiful libraries in the world according to Internet users. Of course, it's the books that make these libraries so special, but many of them are true works of art and landmarks in cities and universities in their own right.

1. Trinity College Library at the University of Dublin. (Skylark Studio)

2. Kirby Library, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. (LAFAYETTE COLLEGE)

Kirby Library, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. (LAFAYETTE COLLEGE)

3. Library of Congress, Washington, DC. It is the national library of the United States and the oldest federal institution in the United States (1800). The library is located in three buildings, it is the largest library in the world in terms of number of shelves and number of books (22.19 million). (CAROL MCKINNEY HIGHSMITH)

4. National Library of Belarus in Minsk. Founded on September 15, 1922. It houses the country's largest library of printed publications and the third largest collection of books in Russian outside Russia. (GIANCARLO RUSSO)

Now the Minsk library is located in a new 72-meter building in Minsk. The building has 22 floors and was completed in January 2006. It accommodates 2,000 readers and has a conference room with 500 seats. (GIANCARLO RUSSO)

Its main architectural component has the shape of a rhombicuboctahedron. The design of the new building was developed by Mikhail Vinogradov and Viktor Kramarenko. (GIANCARLO RUSSO)

5. Library of the Monastery of St. Gall in Switzerland. The library was founded by Saint Othmar, founder of the monastery of Saint Gall. It is the oldest library in Switzerland and one of the earliest and most important monastic libraries in the world. (PATRICK HAURI)

The library houses 2,100 manuscripts dating from the 8th to 15th centuries, 1,650 early printed books (printed before 1500) and old printed books. In total, the library contains about 160,000 volumes. For example, the manuscript “Song of the Nibelungs” is kept here. (Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen)

6. Reading room of the library of the Karl and Franz University of Graz in Austria. (DR. MARCUS GOSSLER)

7. Geisel Library, University of California, San Diego. The Geisel Library is the main library of the University of California, San Diego. 4 of the 6 campus libraries are located here. (BELIS@RIO)

The building is named in honor of Audrey and Theodor Seuss Geisel (known as Dr. Seuss) for their generous contributions to the library and desire to improve literacy in the community. (BEN LUNSFORD)

8. Library of the Delft University of Technology, South Holland, the Netherlands. Built in 1997, the library was created according to the designs of the Mecanoo architectural bureau. It is located behind the university courtyard. The roof of the library is covered with grass, which serves as a natural insulating material. (NAMIJANO)

The structure rises from the ground on one side, so that you can climb onto the building itself. The building is topped with a steel cone, giving it a unique shape. (NAMIJANO)

The wall opposite the courtyard is made entirely of glass. (CHALMERS LIBRARY)

9. Stockholm Public Library, Sweden. The Stockholm Library is a circular building designed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund. It was prepared in 1918. Construction began in 1924 and was completed in 1928. This is one of the most remarkable buildings in Stockholm. It was the first library in Sweden to adopt open shelves. (TC4711)

10. Alexandrina Library, Alexandria, Egypt. (CARSTEN WHIMSTER)

The Alexandrina Library is the main library and cultural center on the Mediterranean coast in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. (CARSTEN WHIMSTER)

This is a tribute to the famous Library of Alexandria, lost in antiquity, as well as an attempt to recreate something similar. (CARSTEN WHIMSTER)

11. Reading room of the British Museum in London. The reading room is located in the Great Court of the British Museum. (JON SULLIVAN)

In 1997, the library moved to a new building in St Pancras, London, but the reading room remained there, in the British Museum. (DILIFF)

12. Library of the University of Sofia in Bulgaria. (ANASTAS TARPANOV)

13. Seattle Public Library, Washington, USA. The 11-story glass and steel building opened in downtown Seattle on May 23, 2004. (STEVEN PAVLOV)

The library, covering an area of 34,000 m², houses approximately 1.45 million books and other materials, has underground parking for 143 cars, as well as 400 computers. In the first year, more than 2 million people visited the library. (REX SORGATZ)

14. Juanina Library of the University of Coimbra in Portugal. (WORDMAN1)

The Joañina Library is located at the University of Coimbra, built in the 18th century, during the reign of the Portuguese King João V (the library is named after him). (ABOUTCENTRO)

The library is located at the top of the university, next to the tower. (ABOUTCENTRO)

15. Vancouver Public Library, British Columbia, Canada. (JAN HAVLIK)

Vancouver Public Library, British Columbia, Canada. (MICHAEL FRANCIS MCARTHY)

Vancouver Public Library, British Columbia, Canada. (EVAN LEESON)