Kéré Architecture has unveiled its proposal for the 40,000-square-meter Biblioteca dos Saberes (House of Wisdom) in Rio de Janeiro's Cidade Nova neighborhood. Designed by Francis Kéré, Mariona Maeso Deitg, and Juan Carlos Zapata, the cultural complex is commissioned by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall and planned for a site near Valongo Wharf and the Little Africa area. The design was presented to members of the community on November 20, the National Day of Zumbi and Black Consciousness in Brazil.
Chen's solution uses a folded metal roof that mimics the site's varied topography while organizing interior volumes. The site sits on slopes along the waterfront, positioned between historical and modern Bronx districts. Rather than fighting that terrain or treating it as a constraint, the folded geometry echoes those slopes and simultaneously blends walls into ceilings to define distinct programmatic zones.
Libraries used to be quiet, stuffy places where librarians shushed anyone who dared whisper. Not anymore. Today's most daring library designs are shattering every preconception about what these spaces should be, transforming them into vibrant community hubs that make knowledge feel electric and alive. From buildings that literally look like open books to bamboo structures that breathe with their surroundings, these five libraries prove that architecture can be just as inspiring as the stories housed within.
