The Latin phrase “sanctum sanctorum” most often refers to the most holy places – and for thespians and bibliophiles, few places are more sacred than libraries and theatres.
With the publication of its two latest tomes Libraries and Theatres, Roads Publishing has opened the portals of the world’s most sancta sanctorum. As Danielle Ryan, founder of Roads Luxury Group Ltd., states, “These books were wonderful to research and I discovered many incredible buildings whilst doing so. It was hard to edit them down.”
© Roads Publishing
The result is a two-volume visual exploration of the ongoing evolution of the world’s most fascinating and iconic libraries and theatres. “What I like about this series,” says Ryan, “and the reason I call it the ‘reflection series,’ is that any national library or theatre is a state building and, therefore, must be designed to reflect the values, style and ethos of the city they live in. Very telling. This is how the city chose to represent itself.”
Arguably, the history of our species commences with the establishment of the library: a repository of humanity’s imprint upon the planet. “Without libraries, what have we?” wrote Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, a novel about a dystopian future where books are outlawed. “We have no past and no future.” For those fearful of the obsolescence of books, Libraries offers a palliative pictorial history that showcases how various global cultures have chosen to protect and preserve their annals.
LiYuan Library, China © Roads Publishing
The book’s cover photograph with its juxtaposition of Trinity College Dublin’s Long Room and a more modern example of a reading room covered in firewood reflects a focus on the architecture of libraries throughout history. A foreword by Danish architect Bjarne Hammer, founding partner at Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, states, “As architects, we have a unique opportunity to design libraries which support new ways for people to meet, interact and share knowledge.” Hammer’s firm has designed libraries in Scandinavia, Scotland, and Canada – and in 2013, his firm was chosen to design the new Ningbo Central Library in the coastal city of Ningbo, China.
National Library of Ireland © Roads Publishing
Libraries offers readers access to 44 noteworthy libraries, from Madrid’s 16th-century library of El Escorial to the 21st-century marvel of King Fahd National Library in Riyadh. Lavishly illustrated, the 192-page hardcover tome includes four-language captions, accompanied only by the construction date and architect of each featured library. Otherwise a reader is free to roam – and dream – at will.
