China’s Beijing Library was named Public Library of the Year at an awards ceremony on 7 October in Barcelona, Spain. The library was one of four finalists in the annual competition, which is judged by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
The IFLA judges said the Beijing Library had a “wow factor”. They praised the way the building’s design connects books, people and nature, and were also pleased with how sustainable it is, which means it causes little or no damage to the environment and is made to last a long time.
The library, which opened in December 2023, was designed by architects from China and Norway. It houses the world’s largest temperature-controlled reading space, which is 75,000 square metres. It has huge windows and tall columns…