Building of Latvian National Library, National library building in Zemgale Suburb, Latvia.
The Building of the Latvian National Library, also known as the Castle of Light, is a large public library building in the Zemgale Suburb of Riga, Latvia. It stands on the bank of the Daugava River and is shaped like a stepped glass tower that rises toward the sky.
The idea for a new national library building dates back to the Soviet era, but the project only moved forward after Latvia regained independence. Construction began in 2008 and the building opened in 2014.
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The building is easy to reach on foot from the old town, as it sits just across the stone bridge over the Daugava. Visitors can explore the public areas, including reading rooms and exhibition spaces, without needing prior arrangements.
The name Castle of Light comes from a Latvian folk poem in which a luminous castle rises from a river to save the people. At the 2014 opening, thousands of people formed a human chain to pass books by hand from the old library building into the new one.
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