There are so many reasons to love libraries. They give you a quiet space to study, de-stress, and venture into a new realm. Each book is like a doorway to a world of knowledge or fantasy. But the best part is that it saves you so much money, if you return your books on time. Instead of spending $20 or $30 bucks buying a book, you can rent one out free of charge. How cool is that? But if you think your local library is awesome, wait until you hear about the one that was built in China. It’s spectacular, curvy, and beautiful!
You’re about to experience one of the coolest libraries in all of China, and perhaps, the world!
Made up of 34,200-square-meter glass, this five-story structure has a huge spherical shaped auditorium in the center, which lures you in. Once you’re there, your jaw will drop with all the books that are waiting to embrace your imagination.
The building is one of four other building designed to give the Binhai Cultural District a boost.
It was designed in conjunction with TUPDI (Tianjin Urban Planning And Design Institute) MVRDV, and GMP Architekten. It’s so futuristic and breathtaking that you’ll swear you left Planet Earth.
It wasn’t an easy project to take on given all the work that was required to achieve this dream.
The building, in its curvy perfection, was designed to give patrons different areas to interact in, like the watch zone, think zone, and interact zone. The end result came out better than anyone could have expected.
The eye becomes the focal point that attracts people into the center of the library.
The atrium of the Tianjin Binhai Public Library in Tianjin, China looks like one giant 3D eyeball that’s staring out at you. It’s also kind of nifty feeling like something bigger than yourself is keeping a close eye on you.
The Dutch architectural firm MVRDV is no stranger to coming up with unique designs.
They’ve also created the Jenga towers in Vienna and the Skygarden in Seoul. So, the library in Tianjin is simply the latest. But they’ve really outdone themselves by hollowing out the building and creating curvy bookshelves and places for people to sit and read.
A visitor can hang out in the auditorium or the ground floor reading area.
But they can also visit the first and second floors, which contain even more books than you ever imagined possible and lounge areas to read them.
The bookshelves provide more than just a curvy interior for people to gawk out in amazement.
Aside from acting as bookshelves, they also act as stairs and seating areas. It also gives people a space where they can just sit and read.
You can literally get lost here trying to sift through the thousands of books on the shelves.
It’s a literary mecca that allows people to spend some quiet time reading and expanding their minds. There are books as far as the eye can see, no pun intended. It’s almost a shame that you can’t move into this library.
From afar, the outside of the library looks like a giant, hypnotic, glowing eye of knowledge.
It’s impossible to resist going into this library. Once you lock eyes with it, you’ll simply have to go in and take a look. But you better clear your calendar because there’s plenty to see and read here.
The bookshelves were designed to stagger in such a way that it looks like an eye socket.
Fortunately, you never have to worry about there not being enough lighting. You can always sit near the glowing pupil at the center of the auditorium and read or just bask at the design and take a selfie if it’s your first time visiting.
The library offers a lot more to visitors than a place to hang or books.
The top two floors have offices, meeting rooms to study or discuss some heavily debated topics. These floors also house a series of audio rooms, and computer rooms, in case you prefer researching digitally.
The building might be made of glass but you won’t have to worry about any glare.
MVRV designed the library to have a cave-life motif that gives readers the impression that the bookshelves never end. The curvature also forms louvres that deflect the sun’s glare, to ensure nothing disrupts a reader’s attention.
It’s one of the largest libraries most of you have never been to, but you should visit this one.
The design will really make you wonder if you have to climb the walls to get to your favorite book. Fortunately, it’s all an illusion created by the superb design. You don’t have to turn into Gomez Addams and walk on the walls or the ceiling for a good read.
You’re certainly in for quite an adventure the moment you walked through the sliding glass doors.
Whether you’re here to study, meet up with friends, or eager to scour the bowels of the subterranean rooms to go through the archives, the Tianjin Library proves that you can be beautiful and book smart all the same time.
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