The Black Diamond: A Library Connecting with the Past

They call it the Black Diamond. In 1999, the Danish Royal Library opened a new building on Copenhagen's waterfront, which is known as the Black Diamond. The Black Diamond building was designed by Danish architects schmidt hammer lassen. Named for its outside cover of black marble and glass, it houses a concert hall in addition to the library.

As you ride the escalator down to the lobby floor, you look out over the waterfront, where centuries-old brick warehouses still stand. Most of these warehouses have been converted to office or residential use.

Looking down from the top floor of the Black Diamond, you see a visually stunning assortment of geometric shapes.

A series of bridges connect the Black Diamond with the older part of the library, which was built in 1906.

The older part of the library still retains a distinctive 19th century ambiance.

Royal Library
The Royal Library in Copenhagen is the national library of Denmark and the largest library in the Nordic countries. The Royal Library contains numerous historical treasures; all works that have been printed in Denmark since the 17th century are deposited there. Thanks to extensive donations in the past the library holds nearly all known Danish printed works back to the first Danish book, printed in 1482.