Library Buildings around the World

The first stop allows one to pause and rest at the cafe. Adjacent to it, is the lower portion of the viewing platform where a
series of circular ramps surround the edges of the facades. The view out is always protected by shades, either by the shape of
the building or the fine metal mesh on the outer skin. Platform 165.50 DTM At roof level, the relationship between the mind,
body, space and city is all amalgamated. A journey that is flexible enough to cater changes through time. The sum of all these
parts has provided places for thoughts and senses to wander freely. (http://www.designboom.com)
P & T (Palmer Turner) Architects & Engineers Ltd., Hong Kong – Hong Kong
Shunde Library, Foshan – China 2006
26.200 m², RMB 137.000.000
The library, together with a performing arts center and two museums, forms the new cultural center of Shunde, a fast-growing
district with a population of about 1 million located in Foshan in the Pearl Delta Region. Standing on the previously context-free
district center, the library and its neighbors adopted bold geometries. Functionality and meeting the tight budget were the major
concerns in design, resulting in a simple rectilinear form that was easy and cheap to build. Free of odd shapes, the plan allowed for
flexibility of layout. The “no-frills” approach turned functional elements—like the reading booths and the staircase—into design
features. Additionally, climatically responsive facades minimized energy consumption while careful planning and a clear segregation
of day and night zones cut management costs. The library, apart from serving the community as a district main library, also houses
two exhibition halls on its lower floors, which take up more than a quarter of the total gross floor area. Formed by colonnades of
reading booths, the lobby was designed to resemble a gigantic bookcase that orients visitors to the correct sections of the library,
while reading areas are punctuated with gardens and courtyards. The theme of bamboo (in Chinese ideology the scholar of nature)
was reflected in the design of the elevation and choice of materials. The interior of the library follows the Chinese idiom (bright
windows and tidy furniture), which defines the ideal study environment for Chinese readers. Except for the west side for energy
reasons, the all-glass facades with considerable shading from the projecting features allow a flexible layout of the reading spaces
while a minimalist interior provides visitors with a neat and harmonious environment for reading and study. (P & T)
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