OBA Oosterdok, Amsterdam

OBA Oosterdok is Amsterdam’s central public library, housed in a substantial building on Oosterdok island. Its public life here began in 2007, after the library moved from its former canal-side home. Architects Jo Coenen and Geert Coenen shaped the building, which contains about 28,500 square metres across ten levels, with roughly 1,200 seats.

Look at the tall column rising beside the façade: it carries the building’s name and helps support a large canopy with a pointed tip. The design also includes theatres, exhibition space, a quiet room, a café terrace and a museum dedicated to Gerard Reve. Inside, the lighting creates distinct zones, almost like a landscape. In 2012, OBA Oosterdok received the national title of leading library, and its collection reaches from Dutch through Polish and Turkish to English.