mecanoo plans macau central library with façade that opens like the pages of a book

mecanoo has been selected to design the new ‘macau central library’ adjacent to tap seac square, a UNESCO world heritage site in the city’s historical center. the library will be situated on the site of the former ‘hotel estoril’ (designed by the macau-born portuguese architect, alfredo victor jorge álvares), which opened as the first casino resort in macau in 1962, but has remained vacant since the 1990s.

all images and video courtesy of mecanoo


mecanoo says that the adjacent square will become an integral part of the scheme, creating an active public realm that will encourage visitors to use all of the new library’s amenities. the façade facing the square filters light and ensures a controlled indoor climate, while a play of shadow is projected onto the library’s floor and walls. the uniform skin, which references the bookshelves found within, wraps the building and opens up like a paper page in a welcoming gesture at the main entrance.

rather than imagining the library simply as a cultural destination, mecanoo’s design seeks to create a journey that commences at city level and continues through a series of interconnected spaces, leading visitors all the way to the large reading rooms at the top of the building. at ground level, the futurist mural by italian sculptor oseo acconci, once on the building’s façade, will be preserved and integrated within the lobby.

within the library, a soaring atrium opens to the uppermost levels of the building, allowing visitors to orient themselves immediately. as visitors move upwards via spacious tribunes, the building offers views out to tap seac square and the mountains beyond. located nearby, the city’s current library will continue serving as an archival space after the new building opens. other library designs by mecanoo include a recently opened building in taiwan and one of europe’s biggest libraries in the UK’s second biggest city.

project info:

name: macau central library
location: address: av. de sidónio pais, macau 

design team: mecanoo

size: 15,000 sqm

project design: 2020-2021

scheduled realization: 2025

client: cultural affairs bureau of the macau SAR government

program: 15,000 sqm library with children’s, teenagers, and general collection, exhibition spaces and multi-functional rooms, café and offices