New Central Library , Ningbo/ China

Fertigstellung des Projekts – Mai 2020

Photography: Adam Mørk

FACTS
 
Client: City of Ningbo, Ningbo Library
Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
 
Landscape Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
Interior Design: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
 
Building Area: 31,800 m²
 
Artist collaboration: Richard Sweeney
Art facilitation and fabrication: UAP
 

An airy, welcoming new home to two million books

Located on the edge of an ecological wetland, the new public library in Ningbo is Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s first completed library project in China
 
Ningbo New Library is organized around an 8,000-square-metre open “square” on the first level. It comprises the most popular library functions and collections including the main lobby, reader services, children’s library, 24-hour library, a library for the visually impaired, two lecture halls, a café, and the grand reading room. The ground floor is visually open on all sides, connecting it to an external public plaza and a landscaped ecological park and lake.
 
“We wanted to create a very legible building for Ningbo,” says Hardie. “The previous library was quite labyrinthine, so Ningbo New Library has an intentional spatial clarity.”
 
In the heart of the library is a central atrium that cuts vertically through the building’s five levels. The generous, 28-metre-high space connects the ground floor square with a series of quieter research spaces and the historic collections on the floors above. The use of natural daylight in all interior spaces is optimized through the building orientation, and natural ventilation is maximized through the central atrium.
 
A landscape of contemplation

The spatial and architectural concept for the library creates a strong identity at the heart of the development. The journey to the main entrance over the wetland takes the user through a journey of escapism and contemplation where bridges, walkways, water, and nature blend as one sculptural landscape. A distinct and open facade welcomes visitors while casting a shimmering reflection on the lake.
 
The serene surrounding library landscape contains gardens where ponds form habitats for aquatic plants and animals and where the sky reflects in the pools’ surfaces. The landscape acts as a retreat for meditation and contemplation where people can disconnect from their busy daily lives and enjoy tranquility and relaxation.
 
Ningbo New Library is one of several Schmidt Hammer Lassen projects that have recently completed in Ningbo, China. The firm has also recently completed the headquarters for Ningbo Daily Newspaper Group as well as the sprawling Ningbo Home of Staff.