VIE Book Club

The Readers Corner

Situated on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the River Daugava, the Latvian capital of Riga is a true architectural gem. The National Library of Latvia, located in the city, was designed by Gunnar Birkerts and is also called the Castle of Light. The impressive height of the structure represents the height of wisdom, a perfect metaphor for this cultural time capsule that was inspired by a Latvian myth known as the Glass Mountain. The design evokes the legend as it sits on Riga’s skyline as a beacon of knowledge and hope.

The National Library of Latvia, located in Riga | Photo by Grisha Bruev

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