New summer landmark alert: Top 10 uniquely themed libraries across Taiwan

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

“Taiwan’s Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries in 2015The online voting campaign is in full swing. A total of 68 libraries from across Taiwan are participating. Beyond their core library functions, these venues have developed their own unique styles through thoughtful design and planning to meet diverse needs—making them landmarks well worth a visit. Ettoday Dongsen Travel Cloud has handpicked 10 libraries with standout architecture to provide readers with fresh travel inspiration.

▲ Kaohsiung Municipal Library Xiaogang Branch, known as the “breathing library” (Photo / Screenshot fromKaohsiung Municipal Library Xiaogang Branch Facebook page)

1. Kaohsiung Municipal Library Xiaogang Branch
The Xiaogang Branch is a “breathing library,” built around the concept of “forest reading” that runs throughout the entire structure. It is a gold-certified green building library. Designed in response to Taiwan’s subtropical climate, it is an energy-efficient and sustainable library. The building envelope—the main interface enclosing the indoor environment—is a key element of sustainable architecture. A well-designed envelope minimizes indoor energy consumption, enhances natural lighting, and promotes natural ventilation. Special attention was also given to factors such as facade and roof heat loads, ventilation, daylighting, and illumination. The project earned eight gold-level green building certification indicators.

Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday 09:00–21:00, Sunday 09:00–17:00
Phone: 07-8021512
Address: No. 365, Boxue Rd., Xiaogang District, Kaohsiung City

▲ National Taiwan Ocean University Library, distinguished by five cylindrical pillars and the only one in Taiwan with an ocean-themed design (Photo / Screenshot from2015 Taiwan Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website)

2. National Taiwan Ocean University Library
The National Taiwan Ocean University Library is the only library in Taiwan with a distinct ocean theme. Upon entering, visitors are immersed in a rich natural maritime atmosphere, complemented by breathtaking ocean views. The front and south sides of the building feature five towering cylindrical columns, with the exterior clad in milky-white small-format ceramic tiles. The window sills on the fourth and fifth floors are edged with black cement aggregate finish. The second and third-floor facades are lined with large floor-to-ceiling glass windows. In addition, the plaza in front of the main entrance includes landscaped flower stands and grassy areas on either side, planted with various sizes of flowers and trees that harmonize with the surroundings, lending the building a modern appearance.

Opening hours: Monday–Friday 08:10–18:00, Saturday 09:10–18:00. Open to the general public (visitor numbers are limited per time slot; if capacity is reached, visitors must line up and wait for others to exit before entering).
Phone: 02-2462-2192
Address: No. 2, Beining Rd., Zhongzheng District, Keelung City

▲ Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch, touted as a diamond-rated green building (Photo / Wikipedia)

3. Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch
Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch is Taiwan’s first “diamond-rated” green building library, primarily constructed with wood and resembling a grand ship. This breathing green library incorporates many eco-friendly features. For instance, it uses a significant amount of wood in its construction, giving off a forest-like aroma. The interior walls are made of recycled ceramic waste fired into bricks, offering visitors a rustic, natural aesthetic experience.

Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday 08:30–21:00, Sunday & Monday 09:00–17:00
Phone: 02-2897-7682
Address: No. 251, Guangming Rd., Beitou District, Taipei City

▲ National Dong Hwa University Library and Information Center, nestled between mountains and sea (Photo / Screenshot from2015 Taiwan Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website)

4. National Dong Hwa University Library and Information Center
Reflecting the university’s mountain-and-sea geographical setting, the library is designed as a five-story structure shaped like a mountain, symbolizing a pyramid of knowledge preserved by Dong Hwa University. The two-story information center on the south side, when viewed from above, resembles flowing water meandering along the shores of Mirror Lake.

Opening hours: Open irregularly during the summer vacation. Please refer tothe official website. Open to the general public.
Phone: 089-518135
Address: No. 369, Section 2, University Road, Taitung City

▲ The Dadong Art Center Library centers around art, featuring a highly modern exterior. (Photo / Reproduced from the2015 Taiwan Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website)

5. Dadong Art Center Art Library
The entire complex uses exposed concrete architecture, with fair-faced concrete walls paired with diamond-shaped geometric patterns, and features heat-resistant anti-radiation glass that keeps heat outside while reflecting the sky, clouds, and green lawns—balancing energy efficiency and aesthetics. This design has won the acclaim of many experts, scholars, and media, earning not only an honorable mention in the 2012 Taiwan Architecture Award but also a silver award in the same year’s International Liveable Cities Awards. The interior space design draws inspiration from the Boston Public Library in the U.S., with the whole library adopting an elegant wooden brown color scheme, creating a classic and beautiful environment that evokes the warm reading atmosphere of a foreign university library.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00–21:00, Sunday and national holidays 10:00–17:00
Phone: 07-743-0011
Address: No. 161, Guangyuan Road, Fongshan District, Kaohsiung City

▲ After being lit up, the Kaohsiung Municipal Central Library also gives off a refreshing vibe. (Photo / Reproduced from the2015 Taiwan Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website)

6. Kaohsiung Municipal Central Library
The Kaohsiung Municipal Central Library is the world’s first building to use a top-down suspended construction method. The construction technique involves working from the top down, reducing indoor beams and columns to create an open spatial design. The architectural concept is “trees within the library, the library within the trees,” with tree motifs visible throughout the building—for example, eight podocarpus trees planted in the central atrium on the 6th floor as the “library trees,” and plants grown on the west and south sides of the landscape balconies from the 3rd to 8th floors to block sunlight. In addition to its scenic beauty, this also has energy-saving benefits. Moreover, the building meets seven green building indicators: “site water retention,” “site greening,” “water resources,” “high-efficiency energy saving,” “healthy indoor environment,” “carbon dioxide reduction,” and “sewage and waste improvement.”

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 10:00–22:00 (entry stops at 21:30 on Saturdays and Sundays), national holidays 10:00–17:00 (entry stops at 16:30)
Phone: 07-536-0238
Address: No. 61, Xinguang Road, Qianzheng District, Kaohsiung City

▲ The unique design of the National Public Information Library has earned it the title of a “Taiwan pride” in library architecture. (Photo / Reproduced from the2015 Taiwan Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website)

7. National Public Information Library
The exterior of the National Public Information Library’s main building is designed with the concept of a “flowing river of knowledge,” featuring a white structure where no two lines or window shapes are the same. It is a five-story above-ground and two-story below-ground building with a total floor area of 41,797 square meters. The entire design and construction team, from planning to supervision, was entirely Taiwanese, making it a true “Taiwan pride” in library architecture.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday 09:00–21:00, Sunday 09:00–17:00
Phone: 04-2262-5100
Address: No. 100, Wucyuan South Road, South District, Taichung City

▲ The Yunlin County Douliu Municipal Picture Book Library has an exterior that gives off a playful, child-friendly vibe. (Photo / Reproduced from the2015 Taiwan's Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website）

8. Douliu City Children's Picture Book Library, Yunlin County
The Douliu City Children's Picture Book Library in Yunlin County is the nation’s first public children's picture book library. With its castle-inspired architecture, vibrant colors, and bright spaces, it symbolizes a reading space exclusively for children. Each area represents an imaginative realm, aiming to guide young readers into a magical world beyond the ordinary.

Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00–18:00
Phone: 05-5321992
Address: No. 66, Zhuangjing Road, Douliu City, Yunlin County

▲The National Taiwan University College of Social Sciences’ Memorial Library for Mr. Koo Chen-fu, designed with a natural aesthetic. (Photo / Sourced from2015 Taiwan's Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website）

9. Memorial Library for Mr. Koo Chen-fu, College of Social Sciences, National Taiwan University
The Memorial Library for Mr. Koo Chen-fu at the College of Social Sciences, National Taiwan University, was designed by world-renowned architect Toyo Ito. Its unique open-stack reading room resembles a forest, with 88 tree-like columns arranged along the natural spiral growth curves. The roof features 130 uniquely shaped skylights that allow natural light to flood the interior, creating rich variations of light and shadow throughout the day and night, offering a reading atmosphere that feels as close to nature as possible.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00–21:00. Open to the general public (limited to a maximum of 30 people at the same time on weekdays).
Phone: 02-3366-8300
Address: No. 1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Da’an District, Taipei City

▲The National Taipei University Library, which incorporates local characteristics, also boasts an eye-catching exterior. (Photo / Sourced from2015 Taiwan's Top 10 Must-Visit Libraries Official Voting Website）

10. National Taipei University Library
The National Taipei University Library’s exterior design draws inspiration from the undulating mountains of Sanxia, the reflections on the Heart Lake, and the staggered arrangement of book spines on shelves. It features gracefully curved side walls crafted from locally produced Yingge ceramics, beautifully showcasing the fusion of aesthetic design and local cultural elements. The interior spaces employ “high-ceiling,” “open-plan,” and “floor-to-ceiling window” designs, extending scenic views and natural light into every corner. A “skybridge” connects different areas, skillfully creating an expansive and unobstructed reading environment, successfully establishing a new aesthetic for green architecture.

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday, 08:30–16:00, open to the general public (limited to a maximum of 60 people at the same time on weekdays).
Phone: 02-8674-1111
Address: No. 151, University Road, Sanxia District, New Taipei City