Library

Shanghai Conservatory of Music Experimental School Hebi Branch is a newly-built nine-year public school. The library, centered on the campus’ main axis, serves as the spiritual visage of the school. When URBANUS received the invitation to design the library’s interior in June 2022, their designers were relatively unfamiliar with Hebi, as it was designated as a fifth-tier city. However, after seeing the prosperous state of urban development there, the designers felted motivated and hopeful to make an exciting library. In a way, it is the place where design strength is required the most that can shed the brightest light onto its strength. Nowadays, social media has shed light on the proliferation of internet-famous library and bookstores in first and second-tiers cities. However, a library in a fifth-tier city must not conform to such useless luxury; rather, it is a pragmatic necessity. Since children in such remote places has limited exposure to the world, a good reading space may nurture a love for reading, thereby developing a lifelong habit for learning. After all, it was William S. Maugham who said, “to acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” In short, the more under-resourced an area is, the more meaningful a primary school library can be. The original building has three floors – square in plan – with a large staircase leading to the second-floor, which has a central skylight and a mezzanine. The starting point for design is to upgrade the existing conditions with minimal cost.

Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built into the earth. Almost hidden from view, the library is located in an area that was once a valley filled with construction debris. Now rejuvenated, the land was able to be used, with the architects creating a small […]

This project is located in a historical and cultural block in Shaoxing, renowned as Wang Xizhi’s Native Place. The construction includes the improvement and upgrading of the former Cai Yuanpei Square, the renovation and refurbishment of Jiemin Cinema, and the new srtuctures of Jiemin Library. As the block inherits the city’s cultural features and distinctive construction style, which have accumulated and evolved over time in urban fabric and architectural features, there exists both healthy communication and undesirable ruptures across time. In a historical context which is dynamically developing, we dialectically approach a series of sites within the project, namely Jiemin Cinema, Julong Lane, Shaoxing Fifth Hospital, Cai Yuanpei Square, the neighboring Cai Yuanpei Former Residence and Jiefang Road, for there intertwines the existing modernity and the occurred tradition which makes the block unforgotten, but miscellaneous. Our renewal and renovation work, based on node analysis of this ancient city, making full use of historical figures and events through vicissitudes and strangely scattered architectural spaces and venues from different times, activate Jiemin Library’s new functions to jointly shoulder the responsibility with Cai Yuanpei Former Residence, a national cultural relics protection unit, of enriching public cultural service and powering the ancient city.

Located in “The eighteen junior high school of Xi’an Hi-tech Zone”, the “Qinfeng Library” is the second “Rural School Library” of the Hope Project in Shaanxi completed by the team in cooperation with the “Samsung (China) Social Welfare Program”. The library continues the design concept of “integration and mutualization” with the environment, but also experimentally explores the value of the following two aspects: 1. Opening and sharing – The construction site is located in the southeast corner of the school, adjacent to two major rural roads to the east and south. The purpose of the outward location is to allow the building as a link that can serve both the inside and outside of the school and benefit the neighboring villagers.

From the outside, when observing it, we feel like we’ve known it all our lives. It is a little house; we have drawn it as children, we have seen it in some place, it reminds us of a rusty shed in the middle of a field. We can imagine it in many worlds. It is an icon that transports us and reminds us of home, inviting us to come in.

The New Library of CAUC (Civil Aviation University of China) is located in Ninghe District, Tianjin. It is the core building of the first phase of the new campus project, which is 23.7 meters high with a total construction area of 40000 square meters (including 26000 square meters above ground and 14000 square meters underground). The south gate of the campus adopts a concrete thin shell structure, forming a simple and clear image of the main entrance.

In 2021, Haikou City initiated a series of cultural projects titled “Pavilions by the Sea,” aimed at providing citizens with interdisciplinary and intellectually engaging public entertainment spaces. As one of the 16 coastal pavilions, “Mountain of the Sky” has become the second new urban landmark built at the northern end of Haikou Bay. Facing the southwest coast, the Sou Fujimoto Architects crafted an undulating, continuous ring-shaped roof with an irregular, curved surface shell structure made of thin concrete. Invited by Aranya and the operators, Juanzhong Bookstore and Yishan Children’s Bookstore, we designed a space for reading and relaxation for the citizens of Haikou under this expansive roof.

The Reading Room” is more than just a space; it’s a profound celebration of words, language, and community. Designed as a versatile hub, it caters to all forms of communication and expression, from language development classes for children to community sessions and events for adults. It encompasses a well-curated library for those hungry for knowledge and a tranquil study space for those seeking solace in the world of words. Over 12,000 books are lovingly hosted within its walls, creating an atmosphere that thrives on collaboration, intellectual discussions, regular workshops, classes, and open mic sessions. It’s a space that transcends age barriers, fostering a love for reading and nurturing creative thinking skills.

‘‘L’échappée’ (or the ‘escapade’) stands for a place of meetings and exchanges, and a call to culture. A contemporary forum where both younger and older generations should feel at home. “L’échappée” of Herblay-sur-Seine embodies the simple paradox of a landmark building that seeks to blend into its environment.