Luckenwalde Town Library by Merkx + Girod Architects

     Some selections, like the library in Luckenwalde, are buildings that have been added to; others have the same façades but different interiors. The most striking example from this group is a 13th-century Gothic church in Maastricht, the Netherlands that is now a bookstore. Merkx + Girod Architects managed to fit 1,200 square meters of retail space into the 750-square-meter church by inserting a three-story, black steel system of shelves and walkways. The gorgeous stone columns and arches are still intact, and you can get up close and personal with centuries-old murals while browsing for books on the upper level.