Li Xiaodong Atelier has completed a meaningful work of municipal architecture for the village of Huairou, a small town outside of Beijing, China. The Liyuan Library is a quiet, relaxing environment for literary study and entertainment. Its interior is bright, warm and airy, featuring multiple terraced levels and a high, naturally lit ceiling. Glass sections stretch across the walls and ceiling, even behind the bookshelves, letting light into the interior as filtered by the external fascia. Thousands of bundled sticks, all reclaimed from the local environment, stretch across nearly every inch of the exterior. Here and there, rectangular breaks in the stick pattern allow light inside like a standard window would do. No matter the viewpoint, whether you’re sitting inside or viewing from a distance, the Liyuan Library is a remarkable work of architecture, one that could pass for a temple if it weren’t employed as a library. [via contemporist]
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Liyuan Library by Li Xiaodong Atelier Gallery
