Det Kgl. Bibliotek, The Royal Library

The Royal Library stands out because of the Black Diamond, a massive, jagged block of polished black granite and glass that leans precariously over the harbor. Completed in nineteen ninety-nine, this extension mirrors the dark, churning water of the canal, contrasting sharply with the eighteenth-century brick buildings nearby. Before this expansion, the library struggled to hold the nation's entire literary output. Now, it serves as the primary repository for every book published in Denmark since the seventeenth century.