The world's most beautiful libraries: Introducing Franck Bohbot's House of Books project

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Libraries are generally underrated as places to take some rare time out, sit for a while, read a book and admire the often stunning architecture.

But French photographer Franck Bohbot has taken it upon himself to travel the world in search of some of the most beautiful book havens out there and so far has visited Paris and Rome. He plans to travel to Europe and South America, North America and Asia next.

His on-going project, House of Books, is just beginning, but he aims to “offer a new approach in terms of atmosphere, colours and composition”.

“It's about the power of knowledge, he told The Independent. “Nothing is more important after health in our world. Knowledge means everything to understand each other, to tell stories and to archive history.”

“I wanted to have a powerful and monumental way of shooting libraries to pay tribute to the books, the people who work there and the architects.”

Other than his libraries series, Bohbot photographs swimming pools, theatres, city streets, bars, train stations, museums, fairs, courts, barbershops, workers and night scenes.

As an artist living in New York, he is influenced by the likes of photographer Arnold Newman, Italian artist Luigi Ghirri, architectural photographer Julius Shulman and cinematographer Gordon Willis.

Bohbot describes photography as “moments of solitude, happiness and pain” and has won numerous awards for his work.