SPLENDID LIBRARIES

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CHILE

Featuring a similar style to the National Library of Brazil, this

Beautiful building was designed in 1913 and completed in 1925

with a neoclassical design meant to commemorate the country’s

centenary anniversary. Aside from housing the National Library,

the building serves as headquarters to the country’s

National Archives.

THE LIBRARY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY,

PERU

The library in Lima’s San Francisco Monastery is one of the oldest

and most beautiful on the continent. The stunning convent was

completed in 1672, with renovations and improvements

continuing up until 1729. The 25,000 volumes contained therein are

extremely rare, chronicling a massive variety of knowledge dating

from the fifteenth through the eighteenth centuries.

HOME OF PERUVIAN LITERATURE, PERU

If you think the architecture of this building looks familiar, that’s

because it was a commonly used design for train stations

around the early 1900s. As for why this library looks like a train

station, well, that’s simple—it used to be one. In fact, it wasn’t

converted into a library until 2009. In an effort to get more of the

country’s citizens to read and to support the country’s artists

and writers, the library features over 20,000 works, mostly written

by or about native Peruvians.

PUBLIC LIBRARY OF LIMA, PERU

The previous home to the National Library of Peru, the

Public Library of Lima was completed in the 1940s with a small

addition completed in 1974. It's been declared a historical

monument by the country’s National Institute of Culture. The main

gallery features marble floors and stairs, sculptures of the library’s

founders, and gorgeous high ceilings.

NATIONAL LIBRARY, COSTA RICA

With a massive upside-down arch above a glass window and

concrete levels sandwiching a fragile-looking glass central story,

the National Library of Costa Rica is quite striking. It still appears

modern despite being over 40 years old. Unfortunately, the location

has been subject to a number of earthquakes, leading to a

number of closures over the years.

VIRGILIO BARCO LIBRARY, COLOMBIA

If you are a fan of modern architectural design, then you’ll

really love what Colombia has created in the last decade or so.

Famed architect Rogelio Salmona designed this library, completed

In 2001. Featuring red brick walls, blue water pools and

green lawns, this creative design looks like a maze of colours

housing a labyrinth of books inside.

SPANISH PARK LIBRARY, COLOMBIA

The Parque Biblioteca España stands out from its native

Santo Domingo more than any other library on this list. That’s

because the striking modernist design of its three boulder-like

structures stands in stark contrast to the simple homes of the

neighbourhood around them. The architect designed the

building, specifically its odd windows, as a way to help the

impoverished community imagine bigger and better things, says

architect Giancarlo Mazzanti. “We wanted to take people from

this poor community into another place and change their reality.”

 EPM LIBRARY, COLOMBIA

Designed like an upside-down pyramid, the EPM library, completed

in 2005, may be a unique architectural feat, but its best-known

feature remains the odd forest of white columns located just outside.

Even so, the 107,000 square foot interior is quite beautiful, particularly

the strikingly angled walls.