Public libraries are treasure troves of knowledge and quiet calm where everyone is welcome.

By the end of next year, residents in Punggol will get to enjoy the new Punggol Regional Library, which has been designed to be more inclusive.

Besides facilities such as calming zones for children with special needs, it will also provide services for users with disabilities.

The National Library Board also plans to revamp eight other libraries from now till 2026, including the Central Public Library, Choa Chu Kang Public Library and Queenstown Public Library.

The Straits Times looks at seven libraries around the world famed for their good books and good looks.

1 Tianjin Binhai Library, Tianjin, China

Nicknamed The Eye, this library is stunning and futuristic, if a little dystopian-looking.

A paper-white, spherical auditorium sits at the centre of the room, circled by five-storey-high undulating terraced bookshelves. From the entrance, it resembles the gleaming pupil of a watchful eye.

Since opening in 2017, Tianjin Binhai Library has attracted thousands of visitors who come to admire the seemingly endless rows of books.

Although the shelves do have the capacity for more than one million volumes, most of the colourful book spines are actually just printed images.

2 State Library of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia

With panels of dark wood and ornate cast iron, the Mortlock Chamber of this library could quite possibly set the stage for a Victorian-era period drama.

The chamber was opened in 1884 as an expansion of the main building, which opened first in 1860, and some of the original wallpaper and lamps have been preserved.

During the day, plenty of natural light spills into the chamber from the glass-domed lantern roof . The library has about 60km of shelves lined with books. It is fully wheelchair-accessible and hearing loops, an assisted listening technology, are available for visitors who are hearing disabled.

3 Starfield Library, Seoul, South Korea

With towering 13m-tall bookshelves and neon lights, this library is the star of Coex mall.

Since its opening in 2017, it has given shoppers access to staggering shelves filled with some 50,000 Korean and international titles, just steps away from the escalators, restaurants and retail outlets.

Though Starfield Library does not have a borrowing system yet, visitors can peruse its collection while getting comfortable on the plush sofas and many benches.

4 Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch, Taipei, Taiwan

Resembling a large treehouse, this eco-friendly library stands amid the leafy environs of the Beitou hot springs. It was built in 2006, constructed mainly with wood and steel, and has a sloping roof where rainwater is collected for watering the plants or flushing toilets. Up on the roof, there are also solar panels and a layer of soil which provides thermal insulation.

Visitors can cosy up with a book inside or head to one of the balconies to admire sweeping views of the surrounding gardens.

5 Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City, Mexico

From the ground floor, the shelves of this "mega library" appear as though they are floating overhead. Like something out of a fantasy novel, it is easy for readers to lose themselves in the whirlwind of words here.

The bookshelves can hold more than two million items, divided by transparent walls, deliberately mismatched levels, and a labyrinth of balconies.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos was inaugurated in 2006 and spans about 38,000 sq m - about the size of seven football fields.

6 Vancouver Public Library, Central Library, Vancouver, Canada

This Colosseum-inspired library at the heart of downtown Vancouver is known for its stately granite walls curving into an unmistakable oval shape.

It has nine storeys, including a rooftop garden flourishing with local plant species such as lavender, white roses and coral bark maple trees.

Between the second and third floors, visitors can catch a glimpse of a locked treasure chest containing items from the time of the library's opening in 1995. The time capsule will be opened again on its 45th anniversary in 2040.

7 Nakajima Library, Akita, Japan

Nestled within the grassy groves of Akita International University, this library is a haven of peace and tranquillity. It was constructed with cedar grown in the Akita prefecture, enveloping visitors with a woodsy fragrance when they step inside.

Many come to marvel at the intricate parasol-shaped roof, while students regularly pore over their notes in chairs that have been colour-coded by height to provide maximum comfort.

It was built in 2008 and is open to the students of the University 24 hours a day, earning itself the tagline, "the library that never sleeps".