When I entered Starfield Library in Suwon, my first instinct was not to search for a particular book but to look up. Shelves rose above me like wooden towers, crossing several floors and transforming the entire space into a cathedral dedicated to books. Colourful planets seemed to float beneath the glass ceiling, adding a playful universe above this already extraordinary world of stories.
I visited in April 2024, only a few months after the library opened, and its joyful energy was still unmistakably new. Standing among the towering bookcases, I felt as excited as I look in the photograph like a reader who had suddenly stepped inside an enormous literary playground.
A New Literary Landmark in Suwon
Located inside the Starfield Suwon shopping complex, the library known in Korean as Byeolmadang Library, opened in January 2024. It is the younger sister of the famous Starfield Library at COEX Mall in Seoul, but it has developed a spectacular identity of its own. Covering approximately 2,016 square metres, it extends from the fourth to the seventh floor of the mall. Its collection includes around 60,000 books, ranging from literature and the humanities to economics, practical subjects, international publications and magazines. Most impressive of all are its bookcases, which climb towards the ceiling and connect the different levels visually. Korean Cultural Center
At first sight, it is difficult to know where to focus. The central bookcases resemble houses stacked one above another, while the shelves along the walls stretch upwards like an immense literary city. Natural light pours through the glass roof, softening the wooden interior and creating an atmosphere that feels warm despite the monumental scale of the place.
Above it all, the colourful planets make the library look like a small universe. Perhaps this is the perfect image for what reading offers us: countless worlds suspended above everyday life, waiting to be discovered.
The Korean name Byeolmadang can be understood as a “starry courtyard,” and here the idea comes vividly to life. The open floors, floating installations and endless lines of books turn the central atrium into a meeting place between earth and imagination.
Unlike traditional libraries, this is not an enclosed and silent room separated from urban life. It stands at the heart of a busy shopping centre, surrounded by cafés, shops and people moving from one floor to another. Yet the books completely transform the space. They interrupt the rhythm of consumption and invite visitors to stop, look around, sit down and perhaps begin reading.
Can a Library exist inside a Shopping Mall?
Before visiting South Korea, I would not naturally have associated a shopping mall with a meaningful literary experience. Yet Korean spaces often challenge the boundaries between culture, leisure and daily life.
Starfield Library is free to enter and open to everyone. Visitors can browse accessible shelves, read magazines, work, rest or simply admire the design. It is also intended as a cultural venue, with spaces for talks, lectures, performances and other public events. If even a photograph encourages someone to enter a library, touch a book or become curious about reading, perhaps beauty has already served a purpose.
The library is located near Hwaseo Station, making it relatively easy to include in a day trip from Seoul. It is worth allowing enough time not only to photograph the famous central atrium but also to explore the different levels and discover how the architecture changes from one viewpoint to another.
This library may not possess the centuries-old history of Europe’s grand reading rooms or the silence traditionally associated with great libraries. Instead, it offers a distinctly contemporary experience: an open cultural space where books are visible, accessible and seamlessly integrated into everyday urban life.
