Around 6000 holes puncture the concrete exterior of the Kanazawa Umimirai library in Kanazawa, Japan.

Designed by Kazumi Kudo and Hiroshi Horiba of Japanese firm Coelacanth K&H Architects, translucent glass fills each hole, diffusing natural light into the 12 metre-high reading room of the library.

Kazumi Kudo and Hiroshi Horiba architects say:

For a public library such as this, we thought that the most important thing to have would be a reading room that provides visitors with a pleasant, comfortable space to read. This environment would allow users to experience the joy of reading while surrounded by a treasure trove of books with an overwhelming physical presence, something that the convenience of electronic and digital books cannot offer.

I love this space because of its minimal and single reading room that resembles a forest, filled with soft light and a feeling of openness reminiscent of the outdoors.