Stadtbibliothek am Mailänder Platz

Neue Bibliothek, Bibliothek 21

Stuttgart's city library moved into this spectacular new building in 2011. It took 13 years of planning, an international architectural competition (which was won by Eun Young Yi from South Korea) and €80 million to complete it. On the outside, it is a sombre, nine-storey cube with a glass-brick facade. Inside, the whitewashed surfaces and bright lighting provide an almost unreal ambiance. There is quite a lot of innovative features and facilities inside, not only related to the rather simple layout and fit-outs, but rather to the way the library itself works - for example, you can borrow not only books, but also works of art, or work with music and sound clips in the sound lab. There is also a cafe on the top floor (open 10:00-18:00), and you can get a free map and audioguide from the reception on the ground floor.

• free
• coffee

Hours

Mon-Sat 09:00-21:00

Price

Most facilities are free of charge, but to borrow books or media you will need to purchase at least a monthly pass for €4

Website

www1.stuttgart.de (opens in a new tab)