The Library of the Academy of architecture has one of the largest holdings of the history of architecture and art in Switzerland. Its importance is now recognized internationally thanks to its continuously updated documentary holdings and the bibliographic rarities it possesses, particularly in the fields of the art and architecture of the Ticino, the neighboring regions and the Mediterranean area.
The Library is notable primarily for its rich bibliographic collections in the fields of history of architecture, visual culture and the arts in general, including the theatrical and performing arts. Together with these core holdings, it is also building up a new collection of texts and publications devoted to traditional, vernacular and popular architecture worldwide.
Particular attention is paid to publications dealing with the spillover into design of developments in technology and ecology. To complement the already extensive collection on the history of construction techniques, the library is expanding the bibliographic sectors specially devoted to technological developments in the Modern Movement, which are further documented by a very substantial catalogue of monographs and the massive transformations of the territory and landscape induced by modernity.
As a stimulus to reflection on architecture as a work of artistic creativity, there are also numerous titles dealing with the theory and philosophy of art, aesthetics and the critical debate. Finally the library has a very rich collection of iconographic materials, typological compendia and technical manuals, which are extremely useful in the training of young architects.