The Architectural Review is looking for the most exciting and innovative buildings for books.
The library has been a repository of knowledge for hundreds of years, from the libraries of the Roman empire piled high with scrolls, the weighty tomes chained to the desks in Medieval monasteries through to the lofty heights of Rococo palatial libraries and more recently to Modernist greats designed by architects such as Louis Kahn, Alvar Aalto and Colin St John Wilson.
In this year’s edition of the AR awards, we are seeking out the best buildings for books from around the world. Regardless of budget, site or scale, the AR is looking for projects completed in the last 5 years which propose a repository of knowledge for the 21st century. We are inviting entries from the designers of buildings that address challenges and opportunities related to the display and storage of books in an exemplary way, and which have created precedents for others to learn from. Submitted projects could be for private or public clients, and at scales ranging from the domestic to designs for national institutions (government, universities). Other book-related buildings could include bookshops, bookstores with additional facilities, and book archives.
All entries will be reviewed by the expert international judging panel which will choose a shortlist of up to five commended buildings, and select a winner after the buildings have been visited. All commended projects will be visited by an independent critic before judges select the winner and published in The Architectural Review in the December/January issue. The commended projects will be promoted via the AR website, emails and social media to more than a million readers worldwide.

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