When I was a student I would spend all my weekends in the library. Not only because I absolutely love books, but I also had a student job over there. Almost 15 years later, visiting libraries is part of city tripping to me. Strolling between books and discovering architecture – that’s my version of a sunny beach. Only recently opened to the public, Ghent finally has its own new public library.

The old library is only a couple of hundred meters away, so the first books were moved by a human chain to their new home at De Krook. The name ‘Krook’ comes from the Dutch word ‘kreuk’ – which means wrinkle – and refers to the river Scheldt that makes an uncomfortable curve at this place. The boatmen in the middle ages were not that happy with this part of the river.

Today it’s a place that makes me very happy. Designed by Coussée en Goris Architecten, this building has given the neighbourhood new life. When the whole project is finished it will be possible to sit by the river and it’ll become a new hotspot.

In the meantime, you can visit the library and the nice bar. The view of the famous three towers from the 3rd floor of the building will leave you speechless. That is perfect, because a lot of people work and study here, so shhh.

If you are planning a night walk through the city, the lighting of the building is also worth the visit.