The Liyuan Library project by the studio Li Xiaodon Atelier is a recent addition to the pictoresque village Huairou on the outskirts of Peking. Besides enriching the village with acces to public library and a place to study, read and meditate, the authors intended to point out the beauty of the local landscape and highlight its quality. Therefore, they decided to situate the building into a unique charming environment of a nearby mountain, merely 5 minutes away from the centre of the village. Visitors can take a pleasant walk towards the library to clear their heads and prepare for a deeper relaxation or education.
The charm of the nature all around is enhanced by the structure unobtrusively, as if it humbled before nature’s grandeur. This harmonizing effect is achieved by thoughtful division of the mass of the building and ingenious choice of materials. After analyzing local resources, the villagers discovered an abundance of wooden twigs, lacing almost every local house. They gathered this traditional material throughout a year and used it in an untraditional way on the outer housing of the library to create a delicate texture.
photos: contemporist.com
My first design was with shrubs.. how nice to see it realized! in such a nice way
My goodness looks like an ambitious effort. Is that bamboo stalks used as fenestration/shades over the glazing? I don’t know anything about the climate of this location, but I think maintenance is going to be a pain. Just saying.