Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz

The Staatsbibliothek in Tiergarten presents a vast, curved facade clad in weathered, golden-brown aluminum panels. This building houses one of the largest academic collections in the world, split across two main sites in Berlin after the city was divided. Architect Hans Scharoun designed this specific wing in the nineteen sixties to accommodate millions of volumes that had been scattered and hidden in salt mines or barns during the war. He insisted on a structure that encouraged researchers to wander through open stacks.