Libraries

Physical institutions for preserving and distributing knowledge — the architectural embodiment of a society’s commitment to the Republic of Letters. A curated thread of 75 of the world’s most beautiful libraries spans four continents and centuries: the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading (Rio de Janeiro), Trinity College Dublin, the Library of Congress, the Vatican Library, and more. The grandeur of these spaces reflects the value societies placed on shared knowledge; their deliberate design signals that knowledge infrastructure deserves to be magnificent. See also Knowledge Infrastructure.

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