the most beautiful bookstore in chengdu by MUDA-architects sits by the xinglong lake

taking as a starting point the idea of ‘a book falling from the sky’, MUDA-architects’ proposal for a bookstore in chengdu creates a peaceful environment where visitors can walk through a journey of self-discovery. the winning entry of the ‘xinglong lake bookstore architectural creative design competition’, the project reflects on the city’s unique urban lifestyle while respecting the natural environment of the lake, with an ecological blueprint that aims at ‘landscape integration and urban symbiosis’.

all images courtesy of MUDA-architects

with neither winding corridors, nor mysterious concealment, MUDA-architects‘ design provides the reader with unlimited possibilities within the linear site. located at the east side of xinglong lake bay area, the building takes an abstract form of a book, with a rectangle of 12m x 39m as the plane foundation, and a roof with 3 meters in height at its lowest point and 16 meters at its highest.

developed as a new city landmark, the bookstore extends out to the water on a hydrophilic platform, while a glass window opens on the lake-side elevation, forming a direct relation with its surroundings. ‘the building responds to the natural environment in an almost “translucent” way: grassland, trees, water, grass, and the gentle, reflecting lake surface,’ the architects mention.

entering the bookstore, visitors are encountered with a space not designed for books, but rather one that lets people calm down before they can continue to the reading area. in the main entrance, only the foreground of the building is displayed, while people can look into the main space through a linear window.

further down from the exhibition area, a sunken reading space is hidden behind the wall, where visitors can enjoy comfortable reading positions, including standing, leaning, or sitting on the steps. the glass wall on the side of the lake provides the closest point to nature, where a row of tables and chairs form a coffee reading area.

under the name of ‘the most beautiful bookstore in chengdu’, the results of the ‘xinglong lake bookstore architectural creative design competition’, sponsored by chengdu tianfu new area investment group co., ltd. and china southwest architectural design and research institute co., ltd., and co- sponsored by chengdu yi zhu yi shi culture communication co., ltd., were announced: with total 486 people signed up and 249 conceptual plans received, MUDA-architects stood out from the 20 finalists and won the first prize in the design competition.