Tainan, the oldest city in Taiwan has remnants of maritime trade with Europe in the 17th century, of the Chinese Ming Dynasty and Japanese settlements from the beginning of the 20th century. The city is rich in temples. The new library takes from this, is inspired by the local culture and has been designed for the tropical climate of Tainan. It is home to the city’s cultural heritage, modern art, music, films and over a million books and of course, is equipped with the latest technologies of a modern library. Slender columns support the cantilevers of the inverted stepped shape of the library, placed in rhythmical quartets, giving a feeling of weaving your way through a modern bamboo forest. Below the cantilevers are four sunken patios for outdoor activities, with the largest accessible from the square; lectures, concerts and exhibitions can be organized here. The crown of the building is surrounded by vertical aluminium slats with carved flower patterns, reminiscent of the decorative latticed windows in the old town. These slats filter the light and keep the heat out. Above, you can see the special finish of the awnings: champagne-coloured aluminium panels with a linear staggered relief, providing additional decorative elements to the facades. The rational construction of the library allows maximum flexibility, so that the building is prepared for future changes. Internally, the double-height atrium is inhabited with an art installation. Art is exhibited everywhere in the building, not just to look at but also interactive art to touch and play with. A sculptural staircase adds another playful element to the building, intersecting all levels and visible everywhere through the subtle wooden-slatted flight of stairs. Upon entry, you are greeted by an arrivals area and the welcome desk, a living room is also located here where you can read newspapers and magazines. The ground floor is spacious, transparent and warm due to the wood finish. The children’s library with imaginative bookcases and an adjoining patio under the awning for outdoor play is situated below. This level is also home to a 24/7 spacious study room with its own entrance. As you make your way to the upper levels of the building, you first encounter a media library with seating and alcoves where you can watch movies, along with a library for teenagers with its own lounge. The general collection is located on the level above this. Beyond there is a floor dedicated to the heritage collection including the Tainan Memorial Exhibition, Japanese Collection Archive and books by Taiwanese authors. There are also four roof garden areas, as well as three multifunctional spaces for classrooms/workshops and a cafe. At the crown of the building, you will find the theatre and conference hall, along with offices for members of staff. From the uppermost levels of the building, a beautiful view of the city through the vertical slats is on display. Furthermore, the building has an art gallery, maker space, bookshop and Braille library.
Tainan Public Library
Mecanoo
Silver
Silver

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Justine Fox
Cofounder | Colour Specialist
at Calzada Fox
I like the use of traditional colou...
6
7
7
5
6.25

Leni Popovici
Founding Director and Partner
at KAP Studios
An impressive building - the exteri...
9
10
9
8
9

Gudy Herder
Trend Consultant
at Eclectic Trends
A thoughtful project bringing gener...
10
9
10
8
9.25

Liam Doyle
Principal
at Jump Studios
7
7
7
6
6.75

Anne-Rachel Schiffmann
Director of Interior Architecture
at Snøhetta
7
8
8
6
7.25

Stefan Weil
CCO
at Atelier Markgraph
Three aspects of these public libra...
8
8
8
7
7.75

Veronica Givone
Managing Director Hospitality
at IA Interior Architects
8
8
8
6
7.5

Omar Abdelghafour
Founder Principal
at Light Space Design
9
9
7
7
8

Ruud Belmans
Creative Director
at WeWantMore
I love the rhythm of the architectu...
8
9
9
7
8.25

Tina Norden
Partner
at Conran and Partners
Elegant and refined building with p...
8
8
8
6
7.5

Sonia Tomic
Senior Associate, Head of Furniture & Materials
at Universal Design Studio
6
7
7
5
6.25

Christiaan Fokkema
Partner
at Hollandse Nieuwe
Great example of a typical Mecanoo...
8
9
8
7
8

Yifan Wu
Cofounder
at Sò Studio
6
8
7
7
7

Mengjie Liu
Cofounder
at Sò Studio
6
8
7
6
6.75

Yanfei Li
Founder and Design Director
at 8877 Interiors
7.86
8.21
7.86
6.5
7.61

Patrick Keane
Director
at Enter Projects Asia
The proportions the building are so...
8.17
8.21
8.38
6.5
7.82

Akanksha Deo Sharma
Designer
at Ikea
8.12
8.74
9.03
6.86
8.19

Mark Anderson
Architect
at Mark Anderson Design
The large public space offers great...
7.57
8.21
7.86
6.5
7.54

Florian Seidl
Design Manager
at Lavazza
Interesting space and beautiful scu...
7.57
8.21
7.86
6.5
7.54
Designer
Client
Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government, Taiwan
Floor area
37000 ㎡
Completion
2020
Project Leader
Rodrigo Louro
Technical Project Leader
Friso van der Steen
Design Team
Johan Hanegraaf
Design Team
Rodrigo Bandini Dos Santos
Design Team
Yuli Huang
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