Shanghai is the most populous city in the world with almost 25 million inhabitants and the library system of the city dates back to 1847, so the competition to determine the architecture firm that will build the new branch of the Shanghai Library located in one of the most iconic parts of the city saw its share of big names and heavy hitters.
David Chipperfield, Kengo Kuma, and Dominique Perrault were just a few of the architects who vied for the project, but after the six-month-long, two stage competition ended, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects won the opportunity to design the building.
The library, which will be located in Pudong District, is conceived as a monolithic object floating about the tree canopy within Century Park. The main library volume will float above two pavilions that will house a 1,200-seat performance venue, exhibition and events space, and a children’s library.
The architects for the project point to the library’s location within a park as one of the more interesting aspects of the project as it presents an opportunity to “create a sanctuary for knowledge and media in the trees.”
Rendering courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.
The library will feature three staggered reading rooms, arranged around a grand central atrium, that open up and connect to various parts of the library. The main library volume will be clad in a façade of clear, insulated, and fritted glass while the building will be carved and twisted to reflect the surrounding park and sky, according to the Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. In order to minimize solar glare, the glass panels will be arranged in angled, horizontal bands.
The windows will allow visitors to look out to the east and see panoramic views of Century Park while views to the south will be of the landscaped courtyards and gardens of the new library park. The north and west facing windows will provide views of the city.
The project is currently in the design process with a completion date in 2020.
Rendering courtesy of Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.
Related Stories
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
| Aug 14, 2013
Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 22, 2013
Cultural Facility Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of design and construction firms with the most revenue from cultural facility projects, as reported in the 2013 Giants 300 Report.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 18, 2013
GSA regains stature under Tangherlini, who looks to trim its holdings, cut energy costs [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Over the past 15 months, Acting GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini has done a creditable job of restoring the agency’s standing with Congress and the public.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
| Jun 17, 2013
DOE launches database on energy performance of 60,000 buildings
The Energy Department today launched a new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information.