The Best New Library in the World
I LOVE THE SOUND of the Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez in Barcelona which has just won the Best New Library award for 2023. In the Exiample district – not far from Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia – the five-story, octagon-shaped building was inspired by a stack of open books.
It’s got an agora at ground floor level (which I admit having to look up to discover it was the public meeting place in ancient Athens), a central courtyard and a reading house on an upper floor which is a little confusing because that’s a library, isn’t it?
It is very much a community building – a feature of all good public libraries – and it gets bonus points for being named after the great Nobel-winning Latin American writer who, as well as writing one of my all-time favourite novels, said one of my all-time favourite writing-related quotes. You can read it HERE
What I love most though is the fact that it was built. When accepting the award in the Netherlands, the managing director of Barcelona’s libraries said:
It’s a gift for the citizens. The democratic and social rights and values are key to our library. This recognition is an award for the Barcelona people.
Since 2010 we’ve physically lost about 20% of our libraries in the UK and we’ve lost librarians too with jobs cut and hours reduced.
We measure the value of a civilized society by the number of Libraries it opens, not the number it closes down – Philip Pullman
Enough said. Or rather not enough said or saved. Or built.
Photo credits: SUMA Arquitectura, the architects of Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez
12 comments on “The Best New Library in the World”
Leave a reply to beth Cancel reply
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BRIDGET WHELAN writer 
they are so incredibly important to a community and this one is magnificent
I agree with the Barcelona MD – they are a social right
Hi Bridget,
On a trip to South Korea two months ago I visited the Starfield library in Seoul. It’s pretty impressive as well.
The video below goes for 8 minutes but the first 60 seconds or so should be enough to give an idea of the scope and vibe of this magical place.
https://travel-stained.com/starfield-library-seoul-korea/
Hi Glen, sorry your comment got stuck in the system. Glad I managed to release it. I’m not sure I’m into a shopping mall style library and I’m wondering if the great towers of books are more ornament than a practical storage solution. Liked te gold hands outside though.
It’s such a shame to see so many libraries close but wonderful to see this one open even though it is a long way away from me. With the change in people’s habits of reading digital books instead of physical ones, the need for shelf space as well as paper for printing is saved leaving environmentalists happy but traditionalists not so.
I don’t think ‘real’ books will ever die out though – the lift didn’t replace stairs!
Very true, Bridget.
Extremely interesting building. Thanks for showing it to us.
You’re welcome, Rae.
Wow!! Thank you for sharing this.
You’re welcome. Good things do happen!
Yes, they do!