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Zhangjiakou Library

Tanzospace

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the strong sunlight in Zhangjiakou - Photographer: SHI Yunfeng
the children’s reading area - Photographer: SHI Yunfeng
the corridor - Photographer: SHI Yunfeng
the strong sunlight in Zhangjiakou - Photographer: SHI Yunfeng

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Learning Space
6.50
6.83
6.31
4.84
6.12
Victoria Stiles
Victoria Stiles Retail Design Manager at Mirvac
Library’s offer safe public space t...
6.5
7
6.5
5
6.25
Frank la Rivière
Frank la Rivière Principal Architect/Designer at Frank la Rivière Architects
6
7.5
6
5
6.13
Michael Schwab
Michael Schwab Founder and Sustainability Designer at In Pretty Good Shape
7
7
6
5
6.25
Larry Traxler
Larry Traxler SVP - Global Head of Design at Hilton Hotels
6
7
6.5
5
6.13
Alexandra Cuber
Alexandra Cuber Director at Fogarty Finger Architecture
7
7
6.5
5
6.38
Asell Yusupova
Asell Yusupova Strategy Director at UXUS
7
7
7
5
6.5
Ruud de Bruin
Ruud de Bruin Creative Director at Ace & Tate
6.46
6.4
6.22
4.06
5.79
Sanjit Manku
Sanjit Manku Associate Partner at Studio Jouin Manku
6
6
6.5
5.5
6
Jocelyne Sacre
Jocelyne Sacre Design Strategist at Consultant
Minimal elegant and functional desi...
6
6
7
3.5
5.63
Drew Gilbert
Drew Gilbert Design Manager at OBMI
6
7
6.5
5
6.13
Xie Peihe
Xie Peihe Founder & Chief Designer at AD Architecture
7
7
6
5
6.25
Katharina Fischer
Katharina Fischer Creative Consultant at Katharina Fischer Design and Speaking Spaces
7
7
5
5
6
Designer
Client
Zhangjiakou Library
Floor area
22200 ㎡
Completion
2021
Finishes

The library on the east side is the largest, with a total construction area of 22,000 square meters. The total book collection is about 1.1 million volumes, with 2,100 reading seats. The open-shelf book storage in the library is integrated with the reading area in order to provide the functions of "collection, search, borrowing and reading".

In this project, economics is aesthetics; abandon trivial and complicated decorations to optimize cost and precise design. Interior design follows the principle of systematic design, and extends based on the logic of architectural design. The sunlight in Zhangjiakou is strong and the architecture facade is covered with the perforated curtain wall, which makes the indoor light less suitable for reading. 

The designer artfully placed that area as a promenade with a stage effect,and placed the reading area inward. The constantly changing light became a spotlight, illuminating the unknown world of readers. The establishing of spiritual civilization is inseparable from cultural genes.The library expand the dimensions of people's artistic and literary life, and shape the in-depth experiences of interactions between human and architecture during the decades. 

A public library support people's spiritual breathing as the lung of city, and heal people of different ages. The library is equipped with a modern intelligent management system to maintain public order and safety at the entrance and exit, and also provide self-service storage, certificate application, system retrieval and LED screen with rolling information. The convenience of high technology allows people to effortlessly obtain the information they need. In addition to specific functional areas, some areas are reserved for other possibilities in future. The transparency of the architectural material ensures the possibilities of various activities; It reshapes the expression of the space through the opening and closing of the wall. 

The modular composition allows the space to be flexibly transformed into a gallery, concert hall, recording studio, event area, etc. Various activities based on history and culture are staged here. There is a private museum in the library, which displays the historical documents of Zhangjiakou. It gives a close look of history of thousands of years through the small window. It conveys the proper posture of a public building smoothly and accurately without extra visual symbols and image features. 

Zhangjiakou became an international meeting point during the upcoming Winter Olympics through the cultural communication. It is like a seed that transmits civilization, giving enlightenment to people in modern time. The "architecture of books" is constantly developing and upgrading. It represents the never-ending spiritual construction of people and their cities, although it may not lead to absolute genuine knowledge.