Architectural Digest gives nod to 2 Chicago university libraries

Two libraries in Chicago made Architectural Digest’s list of “18 Stunning University Libraries Around the World You Need to See.”

The University of Chicago’s Joe and Rika Mansueto Library in the Hyde Park neighborhood is No. 9 on the list.

Architectural Digest marked for distinction the library’s glass dome design, which has been the recipient of numerous awards since the building’s completion in 2011.

“The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library is a beautiful and vital part of the University of Chicago Library,” said Brenda Johnson, library director and university librarian at the University of Chicago. “The reading room is a luminous and inspiring space for study. The underground automated retrieval system provides rapid access to a rich scholarly collection of materials from disciplines across the university in the heart of campus. The library became a campus icon virtually overnight when it opened in 2011, and it’s a source of pride for our community.”

The monthly publication stated: “Architect Helmut Jahn included solar-controlled glass overhead while ensuring ample interior space for University of Chicago students to utilize while studying.”

Structures dreamed up by the world-renowned architect dot the city and suburbs, including the Thompson Center in the Loop.

Loyola University Chicago’s Richard J. Klarchek Library in the Rogers Park neighborhood is No. 18 on the list.

The library, built in 2007 by local firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz, “gives students unparalleled views of Lake Michigan.”

Chicagoans mostly know Solomon Cordwell Buenz from their residential high-rise contributions to the city’s skyline.

The list paid homage to the old and the new, with Chicago’s contribution fitting snugly in the latter.

At the top of the list was the University of Oklahoma’s Bizzell Memorial Library in Norman, Oklahoma. It was built in 1928.

Oxford University’s medieval Duke Humfrey’s Library — used in the filming of three “Harry Potter” movies — was No. 4 on the list.

The publication stated: “University libraries are some of the most important buildings in America and throughout the world. It is between their walls that young and ambitious students expand their minds in a multitude of subjects. As such, it makes sense that academic institutions spend a good deal of resources to ensure their libraries inspire their students.”