Renzo Piano's New Library Opens in Trento

The new Biblioteca Universitaria Centrale di Trento, designed by Renzo Piano, officially opened on November 19, 2016, though full operations begin mid-December. Located in the Albere district—also planned by Piano—the library joins his earlier creation, the Muse science museum. The building was originally intended as a conference center by Mario Botta, but after that project was rejected, Piano adapted the structure. The seven-story glass building spans 6,000 square meters of reading space across five levels, with 430 study stations and capacity for 400 people. It holds about 340,000 volumes on nearly 10 kilometers of shelving. Sergio Bini, president of Euro&Promos, which will manage library services for two years, praised the collaboration between client, designers, and workers.