Beautiful Libraries & Bookstores Around the World

Florence turned a century-old cinema into what may be the most beautiful bookshop in the world. Giunti Odeon opened in late 2023 inside the Palazzo dello Strozzino, a Renaissance palace dating to 1457, where the Art Deco Cinema Odeon had screened films since 1922. Restored by Florence's Benaim studio, the 1,500-square-metre space now holds a bookshop in the former stalls, a café and restaurant, and an illuminated stained-glass dome that had been obscured for decades. The cinema still runs, with evening screenings at 9pm in the original language with subtitles, so you can browse books all afternoon and catch a film in the same room after dark.

Dua Lipa just opened a library, and it's a shrine to the books the world tried to erase. The Manifesto Library, the first physical home of her Service95 Book Club, opened on June 27, 2026 inside the storied 120-year-old Livraria Lello bookshop in Porto, Portugal, one of the most beautiful bookstores on earth. Housed in a new cultural auditorium designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza, the permanent collection gathers 100 banned, censored, and challenged books organized around four themes: power, control, voice, and memory, with works from Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, and Olga Tokarczuk. More than a library, it is a living space for reading and debate where visitors are invited to browse the shelves and decide for themselves what belongs on them.

Few openings in 2026 carry the symbolic weight of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, set to debut on July 4th, coinciding with America's 250th birthday. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Little Missouri River at the gateway to Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota, the library was designed by Snøhetta, the architectural firm behind the Oslo Opera House, and is being built to meet the rigorous Living Building Challenge, meaning it will generate its own energy and treat its own water. The site holds deep personal significance, as it was in the North Dakota Badlands that Roosevelt invested in two ranches and later sought refuge after the tragic deaths of both his wife and mother on the same day in 1884, famously declaring that this rugged landscape is where "the romance of my life began." Inside, visitors will move through immersive, interactive exhibits tracing Roosevelt's life and the values of leadership, conservation, and citizenship that continue to define his legacy.

Nestled in the heart of St. Gallen at the foot of the Alps, the Abbey Library of Saint Gall captivates with its late Baroque hall, a vision of Rococo elegance crafted by architect Peter Thumb between 1755 and 1767, where ornate frescoes by Josef Wannenmacher illuminate allegories of science, religion, and ecclesiastical history overhead. This timeless sanctuary houses over 160,000 volumes, including the priceless ninth-century Plan of St. Gall-the earliest surviving major architectural drawing from the Carolingian era-offering an unparalleled portal into monastic life and Carolingian ideals. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, it embodies 1,200 years of continuous cultural reverence, inviting visitors to don protective slippers and step into a hallowed space of polished wood, stucco artistry, and illuminated manuscripts that whisper the intellectual legacy of Europe.

The Morgan Library & Museum continues to enchant visitors with its recent expansion and meticulously curated exhibitions, offering a blend of historic charm and modern sophistication. Its stunning architecture, featuring the landmarked McKim, Mead & White building alongside the contemporary Renzo Piano-designed addition, creates a dialogue between old and new that is both visually and intellectually stimulating. Recently, the museum has embraced its role as a cultural hub by hosting cutting-edge exhibitions and events that draw from its rich literary and artistic collections, ensuring its relevance in New York's dynamic art scene. The current atmosphere combines the serene elegance of its iconic Reading Room with the vibrancy of evolving exhibitions, making it a must-visit for culture aficionados exploring the city's ever-evolving landscape.

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building stands as New York's most majestic literary sanctuary, where Carrère and Hastings' 1911 Beaux-Arts masterpiece creates an atmosphere of scholarly grandeur that has inspired generations of writers, researchers, and dreamers. The iconic marble façade, flanked by beloved stone lions Patience and Fortitude, opens to reveal spectacular interiors including the legendary Rose Main Reading Room—a cathedral-like space stretching 297 feet beneath golden arched windows that bathe readers in ethereal light. Following a thoughtful renovation by acclaimed architects Mecanoo and Beyer Blinder Belle, this National Historic Landmark now seamlessly blends its historic splendor with contemporary amenities, featuring the new Polonsky Exhibition of Treasures that showcases extraordinary artifacts from the library's 56 million-item collection. More than a library, this is a pilgrimage site for book lovers and architecture enthusiasts alike, where the very act of ascending the Fifth Avenue steps feels like entering a palace dedicated to human knowledge and creativity.

Bathed in natural light and looking out toward Theodore Roosevelt Park on the museum’s west side, the Gottesman Research Library and Learning Center invites visitors into a soaring, contemplative space where the boundaries between research, teaching, and public engagement blur. Its refined, contemporary design anchored by a spacious Reading Room, a dedicated Alcove Gallery for display, and intimate study zones creates an atmosphere that feels both timeless and inspiring, perfectly in step with the organic, bold architecture of Studio Gang’s Gilder Center. Here, scholars and curious visitors alike encounter rare scientific volumes, thoughtfully curated exhibitions, and moments of quiet reflection. As a cultural hub within the American Museum of Natural History, the library opens the museum’s deep resources to the public, inviting both rigorous research and the wonder of discovery.

The Hunters Point Library stands as one of New York's most striking contemporary architectural achievements, where Steven Holl's visionary design transforms the traditional library into a soaring vertical experience wrapped in metallic-painted concrete. Carved windows trace the movement of visitors ascending through intimate reading nooks and expansive gathering spaces, each level revealing increasingly breathtaking panoramas of the Manhattan skyline, East River, and beyond. The building's warm bamboo interiors create an inviting social atmosphere that flows seamlessly from the ground-level auditorium to the rooftop reading terrace, while the structure's minimal footprint maximizes surrounding green space for the community. At night, this glowing cultural beacon joins the iconic Pepsi sign and Gantry landmarks as a defining feature of Long Island City's transformed waterfront.