CNN presents top 7 the world's most beautiful libraries

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS:How cool can libraries be in an era of iPads and Kindles? CNN gives an answer to this quetion by presenting 7 of the world's most beautiful libraries, reoprts Armenpress. Here is the list of7 the most beautiful libraries in the entire world.

1. Central Library: Seattle, Washington, United States

The Central Library in Seattle is sleek, modern and sophisticated and has tourists from around the world paying visits and taking tours.

In its first year, more than 2 million tourists visited the library, which was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and American designer Joshua Ramus. Tours began in 2006, two years after its opening.

The library was voted onto the American Institute of Architects 150 favorite structures in the United States. Nevertheless it has received mixed reviews over the years.

Whatever the verdict, the building is an impressive work of art: shiny, abstract and unusual.

The library holds various art exhibitions, book signings and other events throughout the year, while visitors can stop by the Chocolati cart for a coffee and browse through the gift shop anytime.

The library offers free self-guided cell phone tours, along with group tours.

2. Trinity College Library: Dublin, Ireland

The Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.

Not only is the exterior impressive, it boasts the largest single chamber library in the world, also known as the Long Room, which contains more than 200,000 of the library's oldest books.

The Long Roomhouses one of the oldest harps in Ireland. Dating to the 15th century, the oak harp is the model for the emblem of Ireland.Queen Elizabeth II visited the library last year, the first monarch to do so since 1911.

3. Geisel Library, University of California: San Diego, United States

Named after Theodor Geisel, widely known as Dr. Seuss, UC San Diego's Geisel Library is one of the most modern library buildings in the world.

At first glance, it looks like a spaceship.

Architect William Pereira, who helped design actual space launch facilities at Cape Canaveral in Houston, Texas, designed the library in 1970. It has been featured in sci-fi films, short stories and novels. For example,the snow fortress in the film "Inception" looks a lot like the Geisel Library.

4. TU Delft Library: The Netherlands

The library at the Delft University of Technology was constructed in 1997 and has more than 862,000 books, 16,000 magazine subscriptions and its own museum. But it will only take a glance to be mesmerized, as it is a sightto remember.

The building itself exists beneath the ground, so you can't really see the actual library. What makes it interesting is the roof, which is a grassy hill.

A huge cone pierces the grass roof, which symbolizes technology. This "gives (more) shape to the introverted reading rooms," according to the library.

5. Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Alexandria, Egypt

TheBibliotheca Alexandrina is the revival of the ancient Royal Library of Alexandria, which was the largest and most influential library in the Greek world. It was built by Alexander the Great some 2,300 years ago.

The new library was reborn in 2002on the shore of the Mediterranean Seaafter 10 years of designing, planning and construction.

With its circular yet tilting form, the library looks like a modern painting. Various carvings and alphabetic inscriptions decorate the flatter side of the building, which the designers explain is "a careful display of the library's basic proviso: language."

Number 6 is Stuttgart City Library:Stuttgart, Germany and number7 Bishan Public Library, Singapore.