The Library: An Open Book marks the completion of Herzog & de Meuron's National Library of Israel — a 30-year vision realised in Jerusalem — through original fiction, painting, photography, and graphic narrative that reframe the library as cultural institution.
About This Book
This is not an architecture monograph in any conventional sense. Edited by Ido Bruno and Yad Hanadiv, the volume uses Herzog & de Meuron's new National Library of Israel as a departure point for a broader meditation on what libraries mean in the digital age — as public space, as object, as spiritual entity. Original short stories by leading authors from Israel and abroad sit alongside paintings by Zoya Cherkassky, documentary photography by three Israeli photographers, and a graphic novella by Rutu Modan. The result is a collectible volume that places architectural achievement within a rich cultural and humanistic framework.
Key Features
- 360 pages of original fiction, artwork, photography, and graphic narrative commissioned for this volume
- Edited by Ido Bruno and Yad Hanadiv (the Rothschild Foundation)
- Original artwork by Zoya Cherkassky; graphic novella by Rutu Modan; photography by three Israeli photographers
- Published by Hirmer Verlag GmbH
What You'll Discover
- How Herzog & de Meuron's design positions the National Library of Israel as a civic and spiritual landmark in central Jerusalem
- The library reconsidered across four registers: as public space, physical object, abstract concept, and spiritual entity
- How commissioned literary voices from Israel and abroad respond to the building and its cultural meaning
- The role of visual art — painting, photography, and sequential graphic narrative — in interpreting a major work of public architecture
About the Author
The volume is edited by Ido Bruno alongside Yad Hanadiv, the Rothschild Foundation, which led the 30-year project to renew the National Library of Israel. Contributors include artist Zoya Cherkassky, graphic novelist Rutu Modan, and three outstanding Israeli photographers.
Specifications
- Format: Hardcover
- Pages: 360
- Dimensions: 28 x 23 cm
- Language: English
- ISBN: 9783777443225
- Publisher: Hirmer Verlag GmbH
- Publication Date: [Details available upon request]
Perfect For: Architects and cultural institutions interested in Herzog & de Meuron's work; readers at the intersection of architecture, literature, and visual art; those concerned with the evolving role of libraries as public and civic infrastructure.