Central Library in Ningbo, New Building in China, Chinese Architecture Contest design
Ningbo Library Design Competition, China
New Chinese Building design by schmidt hammer lassen architects, Denmark
14 May 2020
Ningbo New Library, China
Architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects
photograph : Adam Mørk
Ningbo New Library
After opening its Shanghai studio more than 12 years ago, Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects realizes its first library project in China, the 31,800-square-metre Ningbo New Library. Located 200 kilometres south of Shanghai at the centre of Ningbo, China’s new cultural hub, the library is a vital element in the ongoing development of the city.
9 Dec 2013
Ningbo Library Architecture Competition
Architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects
schmidt hammer lassen architects wins library competition in China
schmidt hammer lassen architects has been announced 1st place winner in the competition to design a 30,000 square metres central library in Ningbo, China. Located in the heart of Ningbo New East Town the new library sits on the edge of a new ecological wetland area which will form a new cultural hub of the city. With its open and accessible design the winning proposal makes it possible to display the library’s collection of more than 2 million books and double the number of daily visitors.
picture © schmidt hammer lassen architects
Founded in 1927, the Ningbo City Library holds the largest collection of historic and ancient books in the region. The old library attracts 3–4,000 visitors daily. The aim of the new library is to increase the number of visitors to 7–8,000 per day. To deal with this increase the new library will be organized with an open plan layout containing 3,000 study spaces.
picture © schmidt hammer lassen architects
“We have designed a library which is open and accessible. It is organized around an 8,000 square metres open marketplace containing the most popular library functions and collections,” explained Morten Schmidt, partner at schmidt hammer lassen architects. “The marketplace is visually open on all sides connecting to a public plaza and a landscaped ecological park and lake, thus ensuring all interior spaces have a direct connection with the outside.”
picture © schmidt hammer lassen architects
In the heart of the library is a central atrium in the form of a giant book stack containing study desks, reading booths, internet stations and media spaces. This generous 28-metre-high space connects the marketplace at ground floor level with a series of quieter research spaces and the historic collections above. The atrium provides natural light to the centre of the building during the day and acts as an urban lantern at night.
“The new library project is part of a transformation that the city of Ningbo is currently undergoing. Our proposal sits at the heart of the new town’s first phase immediately next to the new headquarters for the Ningbo Government. This location alone shows the importance the city has placed on its new Central Library,” said Chris Hardie, associate partner and head of schmidt hammer lassen architects’ Shanghai office.
picture © schmidt hammer lassen architects
From a sustainable viewpoint the library design maximises the use of passive solutions over technological add-ons. For instance the use of natural daylight in all interior spaces is optimized through the building orientation. Natural ventilation will be maximized through the central atrium and the structure of the building will consist of exposed concrete to optimize thermal stability during hot summer months and cool winters.
picture © schmidt hammer lassen architects
Ningbo New Library is the first library designed by schmidt hammer lassen architects in China. It joins an impressive list of libraries designed by the studio: 8 completed and 4 currently under construction. Best known is the Royal Library in Copenhagen, which has set new standards for academic libraries all over the world. The most recently completed library is the Aberdeen University New Library, which received a RIBA Award in 2013. Under construction is Aarhus’s new public library – Dokk1, which will become Scandinavia’s largest library, and Halifax Central Library in Canada. Both are due for completion in 2014.
picture © schmidt hammer lassen architects
Ningbo Library – Building Information
Architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects
Client: City of Ningbo / Ningbo Library
Area: 31,405 sqm
Competition: 1st prize, restricted invited international competition
Status: Expected completion in 2016
Landscape architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects
Facts about Ningbo
Ningbo is one of China’s oldest cities and a historic coastal hub located 3 hours south of Shanghai in the Zhejiang region. With a population of 7 million it is one of the strongest economies in the area. The triangle area south of Shanghai, also including the city of Hangzhou, is one of China’s most important and prosperous regions.
Ningbo Library Competition images / information from schmidt hammer lassen architects Denmark
Location: Ningbo, China, eastern Asia
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