DUTS design stacks intersecting volumes for library and middle school in chengdu

after four years of development and construction, DUTS design has completed ‘jinniu district library and waihuacheng middle school‘ in chengdu, china. erected on a small triangular plot in the northern part of the city’s downtown area, the monumental architecture is set to become a cultural landmark of jinniu district.

images by qinshan wu

the project includes two functional programs: a library and a middle school. waichenghua middle school is located at the southern end of the long, narrow plot to maximize sunlight and to accommodate a large playground. the library is located on the north side, allowing plenty of space for the enormous program, which includes a library and archive. the library and school are divided by a west-east bound road on the north side of the site, creating a clear distinction between the two different functions. 

the library building is made up of three rectangles with different volumes intersected with each other. the library building is partially suspended above the school. the façade adopts a glass and metal curtain wall system with a steel structural system. the light volume contrasts with the stable and heavy shape of the original parking lot, reflecting the high technology of modern architecture. this design also reinforces the integrity and interaction of the two independent plots.

the shape of the building takes the meaning of ‘three-dimensional book’, which combines the cultural meaning of the book with the clean lines of modern architecture. the library and school are shaped with bright straight lines. by extending the deep lines, the inner area of the library can be maximized. the degree of expansion, abstractly extracts and integrates the morphological elements of bamboo slips and books, presenting a continuous and rising trend as a whole, concise and dynamic, magnificent and lively, implying the flourishing urban humanistic spirit.

the main body of the library is located on the 1st to 3rd floors of the building. the archives are located on the 4th to 6th floors, and the local chronicles are located in the semi-basement. the divisions are clearly defined and their respective flow lines do not interfere with each other. the library, the local chronicles, the archives and the school are organically integrated, and the flow is transparent and smooth.

DUTS design utilized the greening of the inner courtyard and the afforestation of the terrace to organize a multi-level landscape environment, provide natural ventilation, strive for good sunlight, and create a spacious and bright modern urban public cultural space. the large hall on the first floor of the library is transparent and open, creating a relaxed atmosphere, which can encourage people to communicate to each other giving guests a comfortable feeling of being at home.

a seven-story atrium is set up in the middle of the building, which effectively solves the problem of lighting inside the building and breaks the dull pattern of the building’s shape. the introduction of natural light not only saves electricity, is green and environmentally friendly, but it is also made of glass and metal transparent roof that can show an ever-changing atmosphere under different lights and shadows, but without glare. the library’s reading room adopts an open-shelf style, introducing the internationally popular ladder concept. the reading room is arranged across floors and has a strong orientation. the design is similar to a “book spiral”, which also implies the continuity and rise of knowledge acquisition.

the jinniu district library strives to achieve energy saving and ecological environmental protection from the façade and the spatial layout of the plan. the sunshine analysis of the curtain wall is based on the statistics of annual meteorological data in chengdu. the result is the annual average solar radiation of the windowed part of the facade, which can intuitively and accurately reflect the solar radiation of each glass of the building. based on scientific analysis, it provides a strong basis for creating an energy-saving and ecological building design.

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project info:

project name: jinniu district library and waihuacheng middle school
location: jinniu district, chengdu, china
client: chengdu jinniu urban construction investment co., ltd
area: 428,350 ft2 (39,795 m2)
date of completion: 2019
architect studio: DUTS design
architect in charge: ling zhong
design team: ahn yunsil、ellix wu、danfeng zhang
photography: qinshan wu