Jessica Levine

“Today’s library is so many things,” says Jennifer Charzewski, principal at the Charleston-based architecture firm Liollio. “It’s library as gathering place, as museum, as park, as school, as community center.” So, library designers are prioritizing flexibility for unforeseen future functions as they embark on both new builds and renovations.

While most of the art world has had to cope with the complications of museum closures and re-openings over the past 15 months, patrons have been growing hungrier for arts and culture. “We’ve seen an uptick in our audience getting their art fix—and a connection to beauty—via books,” says Thames & Hudson assistant editor Elizabeth Keene. “