Harper Memorial Library, Chicago

Dominating the skyline with its twin imposing towers, this library, established in 1912, showcases remarkable Gothic architectural elements, drawing inspiration from renowned Oxford institutions like Christ Church College and Magdalen College, as well as King's College in Cambridge. Notably, its expansive size allows for the inclusion of research centers alongside its regular collections, encompassing resources dedicated to East and South Asian materials, as well as an extensive map collection, all open for visitors to explore. Beyond books and related printed materials, the library also houses an art collection featuring diverse exhibits, spanning subjects such as the University's history, Black history and culture, the ideological contrasts between North and South Korea, and more.

This edifice played a pivotal role as the initial significant component in the southern cluster of buildings facing the Midway. Its placement was a result of a comprehensive campus plan devised in 1902, which aimed to centralize the humanities and social sciences buildings in the southern part of the quadrangles, transitioning them from residential to academic use. As subsequent buildings within the plan were finished (the last one in 1929), second-story bridges were added to link the library to reading rooms and department libraries.

Visitors can venture into the third-floor reading room, a grand space distinguished by a row of arched, double-height windows on its exterior. Look for the university's coat of arms, designed during this period to be included in the room's overall iconography alongside emblems of other esteemed institutions. Crossing the bridge leads to another reading room within Stuart Hall, which has been modernized but retains an intricate ceiling.