LIBER Architecture Group
Library Buildings in Europe

Average values for the selected libraries

11.739
50,90
9.461
713
TOTAL FLOOR AREA (m2)
TOTAL COST (million €)
SHELVING CAPACITY (linear meters)
SEATING CAPACITY (seats)

University Library Chemnitz

Chemnitz, Germany
2018
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
12,235 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
47 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
22,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
706 seats
Outside view - Luxembourg Learning Centre

Luxembourg Learning Centre

Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg
2018
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
14,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
27 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
7,600 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
981 seats
UB Marburg Westfluegel und Atrium

University Library Marburg

Marburg, Germany
2018
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
18,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
100 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
48,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
1,250 seats
oodi helsinki public city library exterior view

Oodi Helsinki Central Library

Helsinki, Finland
2018
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
17,250 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
60 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
885 seats
Joan Maragall Library Barcelona exterior view

Joan Maragall Library

Barcelona, Spain
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
2,396 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
10 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
1,115 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
170 seats
De Krook Gent library building architecture design exterior view

De Krook Library

Ghent, Belgium
2017
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
17,557 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
125 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
11,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
502 seats
Biblioteca Montserrat Abello Barcelona library building architecture design interior view

Montserrat Abelló Library

Barcelona, Spain
2018
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
3,796 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
14 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
1,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
250 seats
La Ginesta Begues library building architecture design exterior view

La Ginesta library

Begues, Spain
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
1,268 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
4 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
700 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
170 seats
Boekentoren Gent library building architecture design interior view

Boekentoren

Ghent, Belgium
2021
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
20,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
n/a
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
404 seats
Rijksarchief Gent library building architecture design interior view

Royal Archives of Ghent

Ghent, Belgium
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
9,980 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
n/a
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
185 seats
Waregem public library building architecture design interior view

Waregem Library

Waregem, Belgium
2016
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
4,600 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
n/a
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
128 seats
St Felix Pakhuis Antwerpen library building architecture design interior view

St-Felix Warehouse

Antwerpen, Belgium
2006
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
24,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
n/a
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
225 seats
Archives Bordeaux archive building architecture design interior view

Archives de Bordeaux Métropole

Bordeaux, France
2015
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
8,669 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
n/a
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
97 seats
UCL Student Centre London library building architecture design interior view

UCL Student Centre

London, United Kingdom
2019
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
5,764 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
30 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
1,104 seats
RCSI Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Dublin library building architecture design interior view

RCSI Library

Dublin, Ireland
2017
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
1,958 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
20 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
300 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
525 seats
Glucksman libary University of Limerick building architecture design exterior view

Glucksman Library

Limerick, Ireland
2018
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
16,600 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
46 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
9,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
2,200 seats
Písek Municipal Library building architecture design exterior view

Písek Municipal Library

Písek, Czechia
2019
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
3,729 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
22 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
2,040 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
212 seats
SVK HK Research Library in Hradec Králové building architecture design exterior view

Research Library in Hradec Králové

Hradec Králové, Czechia
2008
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
13,233 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
89 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
4,760 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
323 seats
Main Library University of Birmingham building architecture design exterior view

Main Library, University of Birmingham

Birmingham, United Kingdom
2016
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
17,061 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
120 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
13,129 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
1,818 seats
DNB Standort Leipzig library building architecture design exterior view

DNB – Standort Leipzig

Leipzig, Germany
2011
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
62,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
354 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
1,635 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
536 seats
Liverpool Central Library Archive building architecture design exterior view

Liverpool Central Library & Archive

Liverpool, United Kingdom
2013
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
19,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
54 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
7,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
350 seats
Laidlaw Library University Leeds building architecture design exterior view

Laidlaw Library

Leeds, United Kingdom
2015
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
25,372 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
145 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
54,034 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
3,897 seats
Cregan Library St Patrick's Campus DCU Dublin City University building architecture design interior view

Cregan Library

Dublin, Ireland
2015
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
1,224 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
14 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
3,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
240 seats
Headington Library Oxford Brookes University library building architecture design exterior view

Headington Library

Oxford, United Kingdom
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
4,500 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
58 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
n/a
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
598 seats
Haus Tista Murk ZHAW Hochschulbibliothek Winterthur library building architecture design interior view

Haus Tista Murk

Winterthur, Switzerland
2015
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
6,320 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
17 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
3,500 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
744 seats
Umeå City Library building architecture design exterior view

Umeå City Library

Umeå, Sweden
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
3,400 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
50 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
4,500 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
200 seats
Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg Albert-Ludwigs-Universität university library building architecture design exterior view

Freiburg University Library

Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
2015
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
20,811 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
150 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
10,250 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
1,020 seats
Universitätsbibliothek Mannheim university library building architecture design interior view

Universitätsbibliothek Mannheim

Mannheim, Germany
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
19,653 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
83 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
19,400 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
2,012 seats
Hochschule Fulda University Applied Sciences library building architecture interior view

Hochschule Fulda

Fulda, Germany
2013
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
1,281 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
33 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
4,183 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
69 seats
František Bartoš Regional Library Zlín building architecture design interior view

František Bartoš Regional Library

Zlín, Czechia
2013
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
2,185 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
46 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
3,824 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
78 seats
Vienna University Economics Business library building architecture design exterior view

WU Library

Vienna, Austria
2013
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
4,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
47 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
750 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
630 seats
LILLIAD

LILLIAD Learning Center Innovation

Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France
2016
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
12,600 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
70 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
2,300 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
1,480 seats
latvia national library building architecture design exterior view

National Library of Latvia

Rīga, Latvia
2014
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
16,749 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
254 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
1,145 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
260 seats
Bill Bryson Library Durham University library building architecture design interior view

Bill Bryson Library

Durham, United Kingdom
2013
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
8,558 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
65 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
17,519 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
879 seats
Augustine House Library Canterbury Christ Church University building architecture design exterior view

Augustine House Library

Canterbury, United Kingdom
2009
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
2,500 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
27 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
3,250 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
447 seats
Building

Regional Library of Highlands

Havlíčkův Brod, Czechia
2020
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
3,548 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
40 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
4,025 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
n/a
McClay Library Queen’s University Belfast building architecture design interior view

The McClay Library

Belfast, United Kingdom
2009
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
20,574 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
118 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
38,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
2,755 seats
Sir Duncan Rice Library interior view

The Sir Duncan Rice Library, Aberdeen

Aberdeen, United Kingdom
2012
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
7,772 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
66 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
24,000 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
766 seats
John Paul II Library exterior façade

John Paul II Library

Maynooth, Ireland
2012
TOTAL FLOOR AREA
4,000 m2
NUMBER OF STAFF
49 FTE
SHELVING CAPACITY
6,400 linear meters
TOTAL SEATING CAPACITY
680 seats