Because of the increasing requirements of multimedia the demands placed on libraries have grown enormously in the past decade. The institution went through a true image transformation, from an introverted hoard of knowledge to a globally networked information vendor and communication broker. The architectural realization of this expanded demand profile makes for a very complex and simultaneously exciting building task. Whether new buildings, conversions or extensions, Masterpieces : Library Architecture + Design shows the diversity of this task to complying with the requirements of cuttingedge technology and cultural demands at the same time.Based on texts, photos and plans, 69 projects are presented from around the world - including the work of great architects such as José Rafael Moneo, Foster + Partners and Toyo Ito.
