China opens library with unique interior

03 Jan 2018, STONEHARD   Read the original article…

Located in the Binhai Cultural District In Tianjin, the five-story library, which was designed by Dutch design firm MVRDV in collaboration with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute (TUPDI) and has since been dubbed “The Eye of Binhai”, covers 34,000 square meters and can hold up to 1.2 million books.

Taking just three years to complete, the library features a reading area on the ground floor, lounge areas in the middle sections and offices, meeting spaces, children’s play areas and computer/audio rooms at the top.

The 5-story library features a dazzling futuristic interior with rippling shelves and layered terraces that double as steps and seats.

For the more practically-minded viewers who are eyeing the books that are out of reach on the taller shelves, don’t worry – the designers used aluminium plates instead of actual literature on the higher terraces in order to keep up with the library’s aesthetic.

The library is a part of the city’s effort to improve the region’s cultural infrastructure. According to MVRDV, the building acts not only as an education centre but as a connector from the park into the cultural district.

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