Biblioteca Pública Virgilio Barco, Public library in Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, Bogotá, Colombia

Biblioteca Pública Virgilio Barco is a circular, three-story public library in western Bogotá, designed by Rogelio Salmona as part of the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park. Its low exterior profile integrates with the eastern hills, while internal and external ramps connect terraces that offer panoramic city views. The roofs are covered with ceramic tiles evoking Quimbaya amphorae.

Designed by architect Rogelio Salmona, this library opened in the early 2000s as a major cultural facility for Bogotá. The building gained official heritage protection status in recognition of its architectural and cultural importance.

The library is named after President Virgilio Barco Vargas. Its Bogotá Room holds a specialised collection on Bogotá and Cundinamarca, covering economic, civic, social, historical, urban, environmental and legislative topics, and serves as a space for citizen culture. Reading programmes include literary cafés, creative writing workshops and the Rincón de los Abuelos for older adults.

The library sits in the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park in western Bogotá, reached by public transport along the park's western edge. Inside, gentle ramps link the three floors and continue outdoors across interconnected terraces with views over the city. The general reading room holds 640 seats, the children's room 20, and the Braille collection 29; a self-service machine handles returns and loans through BibloRed.

The library's budget was 16,000 million pesos, for a total area of 38,816 square metres and 16,000 square metres built. It holds 150,000 volumes among books, tablets, digital books and audiovisual material, and the general room alone has 640 reading seats.