There are a few structures in the world that you visit just for the sake of seeing it in the flesh. You might not even go inside.

This incredible library in Maastricht, the Netherlands, is one building you need to visit. But definitely go inside.

It’s a huge 13th century Dominican church that was converted and re-designed by Amsterdam-based architects Merkx+Girod Architecten. The mixture of modern and ancient works beautifully, each clashing design somehow works just because of its dichotomy.

The sleek black shelves are offset by the church’s original huge, pale-coloured columns. It’s like nature meets science, even though the entire structure was man-made – albeit in very different eras, and for very different reasons.

Selexyz Dominican is at Dominicanerkerkstraat 1 6211 CZ Maastricht, Netherlands.