The Biblioteca de Santiago is Chile's largest public library, housed in a beautifully restored 1938 building in the Barrio Yungay neighbourhood. The conversion from a former factory into a public library was completed in 2005 and is considered one of the more successful adaptive reuse projects in Santiago — the industrial bones of the original structure are visible in the interior, with high brick walls and large windows creating generous reading spaces.
The library is free, open to all, and well-used by students, researchers, and neighbourhood residents. Beyond the reading rooms, it has exhibition galleries, a theatre, and a café. The Barrio Yungay neighbourhood surrounding it is one of the most architecturally interesting in Santiago — a dense late-19th/early-20th-century residential district with its own strong community identity.