Location: Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Architect: MVRDV.
The competition to build a new library for Wuhan, which is tipped to become one of the biggest libraries in China, has been won by MVRDV, working with UAD. The expansive project includes reading and studio areas, different study environments, and connections to the neighbourhood through three significant apertures that showcase interior life and welcome people within. The unusual structure, which is over 140,000 square metres in size, adjusts its volume to reflect its location at the meeting point of two major rivers in Wuhan and has become a well-known landmark for the city.
The library, which is located in Wuhan’s Central Business District, provides its patrons with access to resources for study and information in the fields of science and technology in addition to books and information services. Additionally, the building wants to be a welcoming and open area for everyone. The buildings’ shapes are inspired by Wuhan’s geography, and their large windows highlight some of the area’s most prominent features. For example, a low, wide window provides a panoramic view of the nearby park, while a curving window embraces the nearby plaza and forges a connection between the interior and exterior.
The environment created at a river’s confluence also has an impact on interior spaces. Broad ground-floor rooms enable public circulation patterns to flow through the structure, while stepped terraces on books evoke sculptural canyons. The library’s various activities are housed in pavilion-like locations on the terraces, with quiet reading rooms and group study spaces defining the topography of the bookshelves. Thus, the centre “reading canyon” transforms into the focal point that connects all elements of the structure.
