Library Buildings around the World

and two museums. Located in the centre of the Pearl River Delta, Shunde has a booming economy and a reputation as “the kingdom
of household appliances.” The government has committed to major infrastructure improvements from highways to advanced
telecommunications systems to cultural and educational facilities. The entire 40.5 acre (16.4 hectare) complex is being master
planned and designed by Hong Kong-based P&T Architects and Engineers with the Shunde Architectural Design Institute and
Guangdong Architectural Design Institute. To promote a unified image while providing identity to each building, the four buildings
are laid out in pairs on two sides of a new city axis. The Shunde Performing Arts Center and the Shunde Library share a
complementary “yin yang” massing with the oval form of the arts centre fi tting into the void of the library. The performing
arts centre will include a 1,500-seat theatre, a 500-seat oval shaped concert hall and an ancillary music school. Through the
use of an inverted “Y” shape, the back-of-house facilities and technical equipment for the theatre and concert hall can be shared.
The Shunde Performing Arts Center was awarded “the 2006 DFA Best Design from Greater China.” The jurors commented that
“Shunde Performing Arts Center puts Shunde and Foshan on the Asia cultural scene and proves that outstanding design and a tight
budget are not necessarily mutually exclusive.” (http://www.asiacre.com/download/ACRE3-07WEB.pdf)
Urbanus Architecture & Design, Shenzhen – China
http://www.urbanus.com.cn
Libraries:
Futian Library Complex, Shenzhen – China 2001
Client: Shenzhen Futian Building Affairs Bureau, 60.000 sqf.
This project intends to explore the extra-high densities of contemporary Chinese cities and its effect on the urban culture. As an
urban strategy, a good design should let buildings demonstrate relationships within the existing urban structures, as well as shape
and stimulate new living conditions. Although the site is initially prepared for a library and the information center laid in parallel,
our solution is to stack them vertically to form a 60-meter-high cube, freeing up half the site. Therefore, building density is highest
on the eastern side, while the western side has no building density whatsoever. The advantages of such a layout is two-fold. First, the
library becomes an impressive civic icon with a generous front plaza. The centralized volume formed by a stacked program draws a
sharp contrast with the surrounding buildings, creating a significant landmark in terms of massing and spatial organization. Second,
a conventional façade design could not enough to combat the problems of urban congestion in this area. This new elevational
approach moves away from a mere articulation of elements, and towards a true exhibition of interior activities, which almost spill
out into the urban spaces outside. (Urbanus)
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