The new Ghent city library is a sleek building of black steel and glass located on a bend in the Schelde known as De Waalse Krook.
Designed by local architects Coussée & Goris working with the Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes, the library is a quiet, understated building in a neglected urban neighbourhood.
The architects have created some striking interior spaces including a viewing room on the third floor where you can sit on armchairs gazing out at the city skyline.
They have also created a stylish café with sober black furniture and generous waterfront terraces.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
