46 Public Artworks That Show The Power And Beauty Of Real Books

Every bibliophile needs a pilgrimage to these works. Don't wait until e-readers reach monumental status.

1. This Portal in Portugal

Via preparalamaleta.blogspot.com

Everybody should walk through this painted entrance to the Dona Joana Rabo de Peixe restaurant on Rua de Santa Maria in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

Painted by artist Marcos Milewski for the Projecto Arte Portas Abertas, it was an effort to revitalize the area for which the city council invited artists to make beautiful paintings on around 200 old doors in the city.

Learn more about the project here.

2. This gigantic book in Russia

Via odditycentral.com — with Angela Barlotti.

This is the Hero Book of Chelyabinsk, Russia which contains photos of the people who were killed there during World War II and stories about how they fought for the freedom of Russia.

3. This storybook entrance in Pennsylvania

Mark Rosenzweig / Via pabook.libraries.psu.edu

Wouldn't you just love to enter this giant book at the Idlewild Storybook Forest? It's where you literally step through the pages of a storybook to visit a land populated by characters from nursery rhymes and children's tales in Ligonier, PA.

4. These giant books with hat in Spain

Reuters / Via sueddeutsche.de — with Paul Auster (Official).

Author Paul Auster digs this sculpture, don't you? The giant books are by sculptor Eduardo Úrculo in Oviedo, Spain.

5. This bronze book tree in Ohio

Via hudsonsculpture.com and Flickr: 81356478@N05

Behold the "Tree of Knowledge" bronze sculpture outside the Yellow Springs Community Library of Ohio by sculptor Jon Barlow Hudson.

6. These bronze book bollards at Cambridge University Library

Sarah / Via Flickr: 14981394@N07

While you're waiting for your library date to show up, you can spin the the top book on four of the columns to reveal the title of the work, “Ex Libris" by sculptor Harry Gray.

7. These book benches in Paris

Via Flickr: anticomar

Maybe not the most comfy, but certainly these book benches would be lovely to stroll past while in the Square Gabriel-Pierné in Paris nearby the Mazarine Library.

8. This giant stone book in China

Via amazing-world-in-free-stock-pictures-and-photos.com

Tanziling Ridge giant stone book explaining the Three Gorges Dam in Yichang, China. Up-close to read here.

9. This book tree in France

Book Patrol / Via pinterest.com

This is giving back to the tree in a novel way,--a tree of books in front of the library of Tournefeuille, near Toulouse.

10. This book tree sculpture in the Catalina Mountains

Via orovalleypublicart.com

What a welcome! "The Tree of Knowledge" sculpture by Joe A. Tyler in the Catalina Mountains welcomes visitors at the entrance to the Oro Valley Public Library. The glittering leaves and branches reflect the afternoon sunlight to represent the knowledge gained by reading.

11. These book sinks in San Diego

Russel Ray Photos / Via russelrayphotos2.com

It's wonderful to sink into a good book like here in the public restrooms of the San Diego Central Library.

But apparently not so cool as far as the book-spine-drain function...the photographer warns,--"Water pours out of the end of the sinks and onto the floor. It happens quickly and it’s not just a dribble, so watch out!"

12. This flowery book sculpture in Hanoi

Yuan Neetha / Via Flickr: yuan_neetha

Isn't this lovely? Gives new meaning to a book smelling good.

"The most beautiful thing is here," is written on this giant floral book sculpture at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, Vietnam.

13. This book-toting bike sculpture in Nebraska

Katrina J. Wiese / Via Flickr: white_wolf

Surprising wheel of authors with Dickens and Danielle Steel going round together, no?

"Balancing the Books" by sculptor Judith R. Cherry is outside the Charles H. Gere Library in Lincoln, Nebraska.

14. This way-finding book spines sign in Canada

Splash:Design / Via splashdesign.biz

A city holds many stories, right? Thus this giant "book spines" way-finding sign to key points of interest is perfect. (Kelowna, Canada Cultural District)

Plus the sign is aptly positioned across from the city's Regional Library.

15. This book house in the Venetian countryside

Via secretsafebooks.com

Here you see sculptor Livio De Marchi's "Book House,"--roof, walls, and every single piece of furniture inside is built around the theme of books.

16. This striking memorial in Russia

Via krivyanskoe.ru

Monument in Beslan, North Ossetia, Russia in memory of the Beslan school seizure by terrorists which killed 334 hostages, including 186 children. (September 3, 2004).

17. This steel book stack in Sacramento

Via josephbellacera.com

This would make a lovely archway for a bookish couple's wedding. "Catch a Book" is a nine foot tall steel sculpture of books which have literary quotes and the the book covers illustrate local geography by artist Joseph Bellacera for the Arthur F. Turner Community Library, West Sacramento, CA.

18. This giant pro-graffiti book in Sacramento

Via tinyurl.com

"Authors of Our Own Destiny" outside North Natomas Library, Sacramento, CA is a sculpture by Joe Scarpa.

Cool thing is, he designed it as a blank canvas to be painted or drawn on at any time by anyone.

19. This stainless steel mirror book at Cambridge in the UK

Via Flickr: chailey

"Open Book" is stainless steel sculpture by Diane Maclean outside the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK which makes you reflect on the story of the city and your own story.

20. This book monument in Mexico

Via Flickr: 57029257@N00

It's always fun to slip into a good book. This book sculpture is in Jarácuaro, Michoacan de Ocampo, Mexico.

21. This fairytale book in the Netherlands

Via Flickr: 37303706@N08

Doesn't this just embody the idea of the fairytale? It's in the gift shop at Efteling Theme Park in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands.

22. This book pyramid in Wales

Via hjlbyf.mindmix.ru

Book pyramid? Yes, please. It's in the fab book town of Hay-on-Wye (aka "The Town of Books") in Wales.

23. This grassy plot book in Russia

Via panoramio.com

Wouldn't it be great to have a picnic inside this open book near the Public Library in Rostov-on-Don, Russia?

24. This "Book of Wish Fulfillment" in Kazakhstan

Via fergananews.com

This book in Almaty, Kazakhstan features the imprint of the hand of Nursultan Äbishuli Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan.

Visitors place their hand in his imprint and make wish. This is a copy of the original sculpture, the first one was stolen even though it was cemented down!

25. This book handler statue in Germany

Neil Gallop / Via Flickr: xollob58 and Flickr: katasta

This sculpture is aptly entitled "Der Buchhändler,"--("Book Seller," literally meaning "somebody who handles books") by sculptor Michael Schwarze at Ludwig-Metzger-Platz in Darmstadt, Germany.

26. This 100 book bronze monument in Ohio

Via coshoctonlibrary.org

Coshocton Public Library Centennial statue in Ohio features 100 bronze titles, each stands for one year in the library's history, the book held by the boy is blank to allow the observer to imagine his or her favorite book at the top.

27. This bookish mural in Sardinia

Via mauroangiargiu.it

Note the cozy cat hanging out on these trompe l'oeil shelves! It's the mural entitled "The Library of Lanusei," in Lanusei, Sardinia by Mauro Angiargiu.

28. This ball and chain book bench in the UK

Via billwoodrow.com

Hehehe...are you married to a book? "Sitting on History" bronze sculpture by UK artist Bill Woodrow.

29. This tower of aluminum books at Ford's Theater in Washington, DC

Via washingtonpost.com

Whoa, these are all aluminum "books" which are 205 real titles about Abraham Lincoln. The cover art was printed directly onto the metal book “jackets.” The 205 titles repeat throughout the tower, and the 3-story tower totals approximately 6,800 books which were each glued in place by hand at Ford’s Theatre Center.

(There are actually over 15,000 books written about Abraham Lincoln).

30. These giant park bench books in Los Angeles County

Via bellflower.org

It would be lovely to lounge in a giant book at this library park across the street from the Los Angeles County Clifton M. Brakensiek Library in Bellflower, California).

31. This library entrance of giant books in France

Via chasingtheturtle.wordpress.com and onceuponablogbyjulia.com and tumblr.com and Flickr: mwanasimba and on

What a perfect entrance to the Méjanes Library in Aix-en-Provence, France.

32. This face-book in Beijing

This face-book is much more fascinating than Facebook,--it's a sculpture in Beijing, China near the old Tsinghua Preparatory School green. Chinese characters on it morph into digital 1s and 0s, (reflecting Tsinghua University's pride as a premier school of science and engineering).

33. This book-burning memorial in Berlin

Via en.wikipedia.org

Here are empty subterranean bookshelves in Bebelplatz Plaza in Berlin which could hold around 20,000 books, close to the number of books that were burned by the Nazis on May 10th, 1933 in the same plaza.

Memorial is by Israeli artist Micha Ullman.

34. This book-man in Texas

ccarlstead / Via tinyurl.com

Sculpture by Terry Allen on the Texas Tech campus, Lubbock, TX.

35. This giant bookshelf mural in Utah

Via heraldextra.com

There's really nothing better than a giant book mural. In less than a week, artists turned the facade of Pioneer Bookstore in Provo, Utah into a gigantic "bookshelf."

36. This mural in Frankfurt

Via streetartnews.net

Books rising up from rubble = awesome. It's a mural in Frankfurt, Germany by Brazilian street artist Walter Nomura aka Tinho.

37. This imposing memorial book in Poland

Janek Skarzynski/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images / Via nytimes.com

The 2 x 14 meters Book of Names at Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum in Oświęcim, Poland has the names of holocaust victims in chronological order and information about people who died in the Holocaust.

Pages at the end have been left empty for victims who haven't yet been identified.

38. This giant man reading sculpture in Singapore

Via news.frrole.com

There's nothing like reading in the tub, why not honor it? This sculpture is in Holland Village, Singapore. (There are also knees and feet outside the frame).

39.

These are the best "e-books" ever,--(they cover up an electrical transformer).

40. This friendship book monument in Russia

Via memorysensory.com

Friendships always have a story behind them. The friendship of the Russian and Armenian people are symbolized with this book sculpture in Barnaul, Russia. The left page has the Armenian alphabet, and the right page has the Russian alphabet.

41. These huge classics on the front of the Kansas City Public Library

Via colorcoat-online.com

(Kansas City Public Library)

http://www.inarchitecturesite.com/kansas-city-public-library-architecture-design

These huge contemporary titles on the back of the Kansas City Public Library

Via ekoshyun.com

42. This giant book mural in Russia

Via prikol.me

A drab gray building in a schoolyard in Tyumen, Russia was transformed into giant books by artists going by the name of "Color of the City" who were inspired by the Kansas City Library facade in #43 above. Recess at this school would be much more pleasant, wouldn't you say?

43. These giant books in South Africa

Via therabbithole.co.za

At The Rabbit Hole Guesthouse in Klerksdorp, South Africa, you shrink at the entrance and these books look huge. Or wait, they actually are huge already.

44. This book fountain in Cincinnati

Via Flickr: cincinnatipubliclibrary

This would be so relaxing to read by. It's The Amelia Valerio Weinberg Memorial Fountain at the Cincinnati Public Library, by sculptor Michael Frasca.

45. This page-turner book fountain that spouts in the daytime...

Via chicagopubliclibrary.tumblr.com

...and at night in Budapest

Via imgur.com

46. This granite book at the University of Delaware

"Heiko Julien Hugging Things" / Via heikojulienhuggingthings.tumblr.com

This slab of granite was never so huggable until it became a giant book. It's called "Wings of Thought" which includes a bronze quill pen in the Mentors' Circle on the campus of the University of Delaware by sculptor Richard Deutsch.

Now go and give love to some books!