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10 mind-bending libraries

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10 mind-bending libraries

David McFadden | Architecture Design | July 29, 2013

Now that summer is in full swing, all thoughts of cramming to finish overdue projects have likely drifted away. But just because you’ll be reading trashy magazines at the beach for the next month, doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate these stunning temples of learning. Designed by some of the world’s greatest architects, these 10 libraries will expand your mind even if you never pick up a book.

1. Philological “Brain” Library at the Free University — Berlin, Germany

Designed by noted architect Norman Foster, a.k.a. Baron Foster of Thames Bank, this library on the campus of the Free University of Berlin, is in the shape of a human brain.

2. Phillips Exeter Academy Library – Exeter, New Hampshire

Phillips Exeter Academy Library was designed by renowned American architect Louis Kahn in 1965. Kahn structured the library in three concentric square rings, each one made from a different material, to give the visitor the sense that they are passing through buildings within buildings.

3. Cluain Mhuire Campus Library, Galway Mayo Institute of Technology — Galway, Ireland

Cluain Mhuire Campus Library was designed as a resource center for students and staff of GMIT who specialize in design, art, film and television. If this space doesn’t inspire them, it’s hard to imagine what will.

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About the author

After working at various design practices on a full-time and freelance basis and starting his design firm, David McFadden saw a gap in the industry. In 1984, he created an expansive hub for architects and hiring firms to sync up, complete projects, and mutually benefit. That hub was Consulting For Architects Inc., which enabled architects to find meaningful design work while freeing hiring firms from tedious hiring-firing cycles. This departure from the traditional, more rigid style of employer-employee relations was just what the industry needed – flexibility and adaption to current work circumstances. David has successfully advised his clients and staff through the trials and tribulations of four recessions – the early ’80s, early ’90s, early 2000s, the Great Recession, and the pandemic.