Tainan Public Library in Taiwan by Mecanoo

Article source: Mecanoo

Tainan is a city born from a history of diverse cultures, peoples and traditions. The urban fabric holds memories from the 17th century European maritime trading, the Qing Dynasty Ruling, and the Japanese settlement of the early 1900s. On top of its rich history, modern Tainan is developing as a central city in the knowledge-based economy. The Public Library is about Tainan’s evolving relationship with its past and the direction towards its future.

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

• Architects: Mecanoo
• Project: Tainan Public Library
• Location: Tainan, Taiwan

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

Mecanoo and MAYU’s design for the Tainan Public Library represents the meeting of cultures, generations and histories. Natural materials, like stone and wood, rationalyet elegant structural lines and a sensitive use of light characterise the building’s timeless design.

Reaching up into the sky, the building’s perimeter increases on each level. The result is a large canopy that provides shade to the transparent stepped facade and below-grade courtyards.

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

Around the perimeter of the Lower Ground Floor is an outdoor children’s play area. A floor-to-ceiling glazed wall creates a visual connection between the play area and indoor children’s reading room. A sunken plaza on the same level is a multifunctional outdoor space for hosting talks, exhibitions or social gatherings. With a café adjacent, it is designed as a social destination for curious minds, creating a peaceful space for reading, group work, or socialising.

The entrance hall rises three levels to show the library’s internal configuration and the layering of floors. The wooden fenestration filters daylight, creating a rhythmic pattern of light on the stone floor. Curvaceous stairwells show the dynamic flow of people through the building. The generous open-planspaces ensure the library can adapt to future needs.

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

On the top floor, a delicate second skin is wrapped around the building, filtering the light and reducing solar heat gain. An ancient map of Tainan is transposed onto vertical louvres and representsthe city’s evolving relationship with its past and the direction towards its future.

programme Library of 35,000 m2 and future extension of 13,000 m2 with adult library, special collections, study spaces, multimedia rooms, children’s area, event spaces, areas for teenagers and senior citizens, café, conference hall, 200-seat auditorium, bookshop, commercial spaces, archive and visitors services; landscaped square and courtyards design 2016 realisation 2017-2018 client Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government, Taiwan local partner MAYU Architect+, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

Mecanoo wins Tainan Public Library competition

Mecanoo architecten has won the competition to design the new Tainan Public Library in Taiwan. Working in partnership with Kaohsiung-based MAYU architects+, the Dutch practice will create the 35,000 m2 library, which willfeature reading rooms, special collections, study spaces, a children’s area, café, conference hall, a 200-seat auditorium, and public courtyards. The plan for the site also encompasses a future extension of 13,000 m2.

An expert in creating outstanding libraries, Mecanoo’s design for the Tainan Public Library represents the meeting of cultures, generations and histories. Natural materials, like stone and wood, rational yet elegant structural lines and a sensitive use of light and shadow characterise the building’s timeless design.

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

Reaching up into the sky, the building’s perimeter increases on each level. The result is a large canopy that provides shade to the transparent stepped facade and below-grade courtyards.

The entrance hall rises three levels up to show the library’s internal configuration and the layering of floors. The wooden fenestration filters daylight, creating a rhythmic pattern of light on the stone floor. Curvaceous stairwells show the dynamic flow of people through the building. The generous open-plan spaces ensure the library can be adapted to future needs.

Image Courtesy © Mecanoo

About Mecanoo architecten

Mecanoo, led by Founder and Creative director Francine Houben, brings architecture, urbanism, landscape, restoration and interior design together in a coherent way. The office designed the Stirling Prize-nominated Library of Birmingham and the Delft University of Technology Library.

Currently, Mecanoo works on the revitalisation of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. and the New York Public Library Midtown Campus renovation. The Mecanoo-designed National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan will be completed by the end of 2016.

Mecanoo is headquartered in Delft, The Netherlands, with an office for the Asia Pacificregion in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Tags: Tainan, Taiwan

Category: Library

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