Book Mountain – Spijkenisse, Netherlands - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

Book Mountain

Spijkenisse, Netherlands

Peek through a transparent pyramid and drink in the mountain made of books. 

View all photos
MVRDV (jeroen musch)
MVRDV (jeroen musch)
MVRDV (jeroen musch)
MVRDV (jeroen musch)
MVRDV (jeroen musch)
MVRDV (jeroen musch)
83
1285
Top Places in Spijkenisse
Bridge featured on the €200 note.
Spijkenisser Eurobruggen (Euro Banknote Bridges)
Spijkenisse, Netherlands
'Saved by a Whale’s Tail'
Spijkenisse, Netherlands
 See All

MVRDV designed this unique building near Rotterdam with 9,300 square meters of glass, stairs, and reading material culminating into a wide open reading space at the top, to challenge the intimidating stuffiness of libraries of old.

Featuring a huge glass and timber outer shell, this astounding library is a tiered, five-story structure similar to a pyramid, with books stacked on shelves that wind around brick walls. Quite the spectacle at night, and filled with natural light during the day, the building was meant to symbolize accessibilty to literature and learning. Its beacon-like design and naturally flowing open spaces house over 70,000 books, and the building runs on a graywater system and the racks are made of recycled KLP plastics.

Book Mountain won the Dutch National Wood award in 2012, and is a public library.

bookstores repositories of knowledge outsider architecture libraries collections
Nearby
Spijkenisser Eurobruggen (Euro Banknote Bridges)
0.67 miles
'Saved by a Whale’s Tail'
1.32 miles
Quarantainestation Heijplaat (Heijplaat Quarantine Center)
4.82 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
Bridge featured on the €200 note.
Spijkenisse, Netherlands

Spijkenisser Eurobruggen (Euro Banknote Bridges)

The bridges portrayed on EU currency aren't fictional anymore.
'Saved by a Whale’s Tail'
Spijkenisse, Netherlands

'Saved by a Whale’s Tail'

This unique sculpture proved invaluable when it saved a train from careening off the tracks.
Rotterdam, Netherlands

Quarantainestation Heijplaat (Heijplaat Quarantine Center)

A 20th-century naval quarantine center is now a local park.
Europoort Rotterdam, Netherlands

Rozenburg Wind Wall

The Rozenberg wind wall in South Holland makes for smooth sailing through the Calandbrug canal.
Related Places
The Matenadaran and statue of Mesrop Mashtots.
Yerevan, Armenia

The Matenadaran

This medieval manuscript collection has some of the most obscure and ancient texts in the world.
Bibliotheca Thysiana circa 1920.
Leiden, Netherlands

Bibliotheca Thysiana

This public library and its impressive collection of academic books have not changed since the 17th century.
Inside Newberry Library is America's largest public postcard repository.
Chicago, Illinois

Newberry Library Postcard Collection

Rifle through images of skyscrapers, Worlds Fairs, and more in the largest public postcard repository in America.
Cuypers Library
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cuypers Library

This gorgeous reading room houses the oldest and largest art history library in the Netherlands.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web