Reading Room: 7 Captivating Personal Libraries

There is the cast iron tinge of a Labrouste Reading Room, the glistening interiors of Copenhagen’s Black Diamond, the Brutalist bibliotheques that once sprouted from the grounds of every second university campus. But on the other end of the spectrum, there are the libraries that are out of sight, limited to the scale of a home — whatever that scale may be.

The reading room, in an architectural sense, is the dwelling not of the human inhabitant but of the written one. Its form must accommodate paper spines first, before tending to the needs of the reclining reader. Nevertheless, the following projects in this collection present personal libraries, fixed and unfixed to the traditional home, that are exceedingly alluring, with rows of books interrupted only by thoughtfully positioned windows that juxtapose the real world with that of the page.

Vertical Loft by Shift A+U, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

In an attempt to reinvigorate neglected urban areas, the municipality of Rotterdam has been working to restore the exteriors of prewar residential buildings while gutting the interior entirely. For an apartment hidden behind one such brick façade, the architects took advantage of the hollowed out shell to install a massive storage unit that slices through the three floors. Anchoring the space around it, the nearly 30-foot black structure has more than one functional role — and makes sure the residents are never too far away from a book.

The Long Brick House by Foldes Architects, Pilisborosjenő, Hungary

The Long Brick House has a similarly uncomplicated brick façade, but extends horizontally across a patch of grass. The interior reveals the rich result of this simple extrusion: a seemingly never-ending library of white shelves and furnishings. The sparse spatial configuration foregrounds the vibrant spines, which form scapes of books as enchanting as the framed views from square openings inset into the shelves.

Private Library by Chladek Architect, Kostelec, Zlín, Czech Republic

Private libraries require room; sometimes, they require more than that. This project attaches an enviable two-floor library onto an existing family home, connecting the living room on the second floor to the library mezzanine. Shelves of books wrap the garden-facing structure; its pared-down materiality of white concrete and oak allow its printed contents to take center stage.

sp_penthouseby StudioMK27 – Marcio Kogan, São Paulo, Brazil

The designers of this penthouse in São Paulo focused on creating a comfortable and solemn atmosphere in the main room, which houses the clients’ stunning collection of mid-century modern furniture. Wooden shelves extend, along with the hanging fireplace, up to the edge of the double-height ceiling. While many remain unfilled, they might eventually boast a collection that counterbalances the remaining minimalism of the home.

Garden Library by Mjölk architekti, Beroun, Czech Republic

Cicero believed that if you have a library and a garden, you have everything you need. This wood and fiberglass structure, cocooned in its green surroundings and built by the architects themselves, might well answer the philosopher’s desire. Doubling as an observatory with an open deck, the project detaches the private library from a regular dwelling and elevates the sanctity of its function.

Transformation of an Old Garage into a Libraryby NOMA arkitekter AS, Tjøme, Vestfold, Norway

The relatively basic requirements of a library allow it to be fashioned from the most unsuspecting building types, and as the name of this project suggests, placing one atop an existing garage can be an effective fix for a domestic sanctuary. The façade is punctured with openings in various sizes, allowing reading light to pour in during the day and causing the house to emit a serene glow at dusk.

Arsenal Flatby H2O Architectes, Paris France

This Parisian apartment presents a different take on the residential library, where the dividing structures between rooms double as bookshelves with slanted sides. Following the sloped lines of the existing envelope in the Haussmann-era apartment block, the resulting reading room is more labyrinth than library, drawing a diagonal through the living space and adding spatial intrigue to the afternoon hunt for a book.