
Designed by the architect Tadao Ando, Nakanoshima Children's Book Forest (Kodomo Hon no Mori) in Osaka is a library but also a new chapter in venerating the book in an increasingly digital world.
"I had worked on facilities for children before," says Ando, 79, of the space that opened in July. "Through those projects, I have been thinking about what I could do for children as an architect. I wanted to execute the idea of creating a facility in which children can read as much as possible. Reading is an essential part of nurturing our abilities to judge, express and raise creativity."