Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart

The Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart (previously the Stadtbücherei Stuttgart) is Stuttgart's public library. It consists of the central library, 17 municipal district libraries, and two bookmobiles and is organized as a department of the city's cultural office. It won the national Library of the Year award in 2013.

Stuttgart's new library is a monolithic cube that houses all the city's ancient libraries in one structure. This structure is the result of Eun Young Yi's victory in an international competition in 1999. The structure, which is part of the Stuttgart 21 Masterplan, has become a new landmark for the city and the Europaviertel. The library's construction began in 2010 and finished on October 24, 2011. It cost around 80 million euros, including 4 million euros allocated to the interior spaces. Every year, about 2 million people visit the library.

In stark contrast to the cobalt hues on the outside, the library's interior is almost totally white. The well-grazed rows of books and the callers to the library, however, don't appear clinical, giving this modern book bazaar a burst of color and energy.

Location: Stuttgart, Germany