Bibliophiles and architecture enthusiasts take note: The Dokk1 Library in Aarhus, Denmark has just won the title of best public library in the world. Administered by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the Systematic Public Library of the Year award celebrates the library of the future, taking into account, according to IFLA, "digital developments, user demands, local culture, and the desire to accommodate diverse population groups with an open and functional architectural expression."
The library must also be newly-built or otherwise take up a refurbished building that has not previously been used as a library. Designed by Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen, Dokk1 is Scandinavia’s largest library at 35,000 square meters (or 377,000 square feet) and includes a citizen service center, office space, automated parking for 1,000 cars, and water-facing public squares.
The library was honored during a congress of IFLA in Columbus, Ohio, beating out the Chicago Public Library in Chinatown, the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre in Australia, and the Success Public Library, also in Australia. Dokk1 appears on the shortlist for the World Architecture Festival’s Building of the Year award. Head to ArchDaily for a closer look.