The library in Hrádek n. N. has a facade resembling shelves of books

Hrádek nad Nisou - The police with books is reminiscent of the front facade of the newly constructed library in the border town of Hrádek nad Nisou in Liberec Region. The construction of the building in the city center has been completed after more than a year, and now the interiors are being finished, with the space expected to start filling with books from August. The library is likely to open to the public at the end of September, as stated by the city’s investment technician Jiří Palas. The library, including equipment, will cost about 17 million crowns, and the city is building it without subsidies.

The municipal library in the eight-thousand-strong town of Hrádek had long been located in the heritage-protected Schubert Villa. However, it had to vacate last autumn as the valuable building from 1924 is being converted by the city into a community center. The newly constructed library adjoins the multifunctional center Brána Trojzemí. It stands on the site of old bakeries. The material from these bakeries was used to create the unusually shaped facade. "From the dilapidated structure, we selected the best bricks and returned them to the facade. It evokes shelves of books,” Palas stated.

This is not the only unusual element of the new building. Inside, there are quotes associated with books that are cast directly into the concrete walls. At one spot, for example, is a quote from philosopher and writer Ladislav Klíma, "The characters of the novel are my own possibilities that did not come true." In another place, there are words from the Dutch scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam from the 16th century, "Those who love books are not those who keep them untouched in cupboards, but those who have them constantly in hand."

The new library also serves as a reminder of the historical purpose this place once held. The building is located in the historic center of the town, right next to the cemetery wall. The area around the church used to be larger, and archaeologists discovered the foundations of the original cemetery wall when digging the foundations. They also found skeletal remains. The spots where the wall and bones were located are marked with graphics on the floor.