China opens world’s coolest library - but there's one big problem

Despite spending most of our waking time on the internet these days, it's hard not to appreciate a good library.

Earlier this week images of a gorgeous look new library in China landed online and understandably wowed the Internet.

The library, which is located in the Binhai Cultural District in Tianjin, looks like something plucked from a science fiction film.

Stacked from floor to ceiling are selves upon shelves of books, and with a glowing orb in the middle.

The pictures of the interior quickly went viral.

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

The library has been designed by the Dutch design firm MVRDV and covers an astonishing 33,700 square meters.

According to Bored Panda it can store 1.2 million books, or can it?

While it clearly has more than enough shelves at its disposal, upon closer inspection, these initial images were a somewhat deceiving.

From a distance it appears that all the shelves are fully stocked with books, but when you get closer you realise that the spines are just part of the backdrop.

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Yahooreport that the library currently stores 200,000 books but does plan to expand to the aforementioned 1.2 million figure.

Regardless of how many books it contains, it would still be amazing to visit this futuristic building and pluck a classic book from one of the shelves.

Sadly, that doesn't look like it will be the case for this library.

According to Yahoo most of the books will be stored in other, more traditional rooms, leaving the large atrium for other activities.

The library's deputy director, Liu Xiufeng, has blamed the design of the building for this issue.

We can only use the hall for the purposes for which it has been approved, so we cannot use it as a place to put books.

Another fault was that the upper shelves were supposed to be accessible through other rooms - however, construction problems put a stop to that plan.

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

Picture: FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images

That being said it hasn't dissuaded people from visiting the library as Mashablereport that it is attracting an average of 15,000 visitors every weekend.

Checkouts of books have more than quadrupled.

HT Mashable, Bored Panda

More: 35 books that will change how you see the world