China Opens World’s Coolest Library With 1.2 Million Books, And Its Interior Will Take Your Breath Away
Nobody likes to be watched while they’re trying to read a book, but we’re willing to make an exception if it means getting to visit this stunning new library in China, because as you can see below, the incredible structure has a giant spherical auditorium in the middle that looks just like a giant eye.
Located in the Binhai Cultural District In Tianjin, the five-story library, which was designed by Dutch design firm MVRDV in collaboration with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute (TUPDI) and has since been dubbed “The Eye of Binhai”, covers 34,000 square metres and can hold up to 1.2 million books. Taking just three years to complete, the library features a reading area on the ground floor, lounge areas in the middle sections and offices, meeting spaces, and computer/audio rooms at the top. We’re not sure how much studying we’d get done though – we’d be far too busy marveling at the awesome architecture!
This isn’t the first time we’ve written about the endlessly creative MVRDV. Click here to read about their giant scaffold staircase and here for their beautiful market hall in Rotterdam.
More info: MVRDV
Update: Turns out, most of these futuristic-looking floor to ceiling shelves are painted to look like they’re full of books, but in reality, much of the covers in the hall are printed images. The real books are stored in other rooms in the building.
Watch the video for more info:
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Share on FacebookThey probably have it on their computer database and indications where to find it, if you're looking for something specific. It might be tiring, though, to pick a random book
Load More Replies...It is an interesting design, but it doesn't seem warm, homey, and comfortable--which is what I like when I sit down to read a book.
It's also not your own culture, which can give a completely different vibe to the Chinese than it would a Westerner.
Load More Replies...Very nice looking library building. I wonder if those books in the upper shelves are simply there for show. There doesn't seem to be a way to reach them unless you're a rock climber. However, I think I prefer traditional library buildings. I believe they are far more silent because of the shelving. This one could prove to be really loud and distracting.
On the upper "shelves" the books are painted on the wall, you can see it in the video
Load More Replies...The library design is stunning .. it would be heaven to visit it personally.
Why people all so judgmental? Is it soooo hard to admit this is a nice library and it's in China? I'd say over 80% people criticizing China even has never been there before and if you actually get the chance to go to this beautiful country you'd found it is not like what the western media describes. Anyway I am Chinese and I am proud of my country
I don't think anyone's criticizing the library's beauty. The criticism all has to do with the practicality and design. I'm hoping that what we're seeing here is mostly the grand foyer and tucked inside are many quieter reading rooms, areas that are useful for the elderly, handicapped, and children, etc.
Load More Replies...While it looks like a fantastic place to visit, just looking at all those steps make my arthritic knees hurt!
Sadly, too often the designers don't include accessibility for the disabled in their calculations...
Load More Replies...The Chinese reports say it's designed after waves: the name Binhai means seashore, and of course Tianjin is a port. It has over a million books, and there are lots of places to sit and read, but some of those upper shelves are just design. I'm a bit surprised by the condescension that shows in a lot of the comments here. Come on, Pandas, we can do better.
Absolutely beatiful. And pure propaganda in a country where writers, thinkers & booksellers have to fear for their lives https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/28/in-hong-kongs-book-industry-everybody-is-scared
1.2 million books, and every single one gone through censorship!
very 'cold' for a library... could fit better for an airport, maybe...
I'd be proud to have a library like that. I find it to have a nice, clean look and tremendous calming effects.
This nerd looks it! Then again, I love the Trinity College library in Dublin, I love the Beauty and the Beast library. If it has books, I am so there!
Makes me dizzy... Too bad it's in China. Would love to visit... I love libraries. And book shops. And book sales. And random piles of books. And books....
I think it's cool 😎 and makes old books stand out against a modern complement
Love the walls, not so fond of the big ball in the middle. But all in all it isreally nice, that libraries for 'analogue' books ;-) are still being built!
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful information specially the last part I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck. My web https://ebrevinil.com
The report is misleading. While it can hold up to 1.2 million books, there is actually not a single book in the place! Only a few government propaganda books on a trolley on the floor. I know because my architect has been there. Why on earth they built it is anyone's guess. Haha!
It's very beautiful but for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues it sucks.
You all do realize a lot of those books are, like, wallpaper? Still, a stunning architectural achievement.
It might be a challenge for old people and physically handicapped. A hazardous place for young, active kids as well.
The design is absolutely stunning, I'd hate to be the librarian that has to restock the books that just came in. I wonder if it's all alphabet ical? But then again maybe all the books are in Chinese🤔
All that books are painted on the wall, and the few that can be read, people has to sit on the floor to do it. Looks nice, functions terrible.
SUPERB! - An absolutely stunning design! Also - check-out the main library of Mexico City! ...the US? - meh.
How many of the 'books' are actually books? And where do people sit to read? Libraries are some of my favourite buildings / places in the world, but this doesn't look like one.
Normally I'm all over creative design, especially in architecture but this doesn't do it for me at all. The upper parts just being wallpaper is hideous. Two thumbs down for this design. It doesn't have a good 'feel' for a place of reading. Looks like it was designed by a non-reader.
Look awesome and totally sci-fiish :D <3 I wonder how they reach books from those upper levels that are extending towards the top of the sphere :D :D
It looks to me like the sort of building that might have been designed by the late, great Zaha Hadid. Does anyone know whether she was the original Architect?
It looks beautiful, but I'm not comfortable with heights, so I'd probably not be able to access anything more than six feet off the lowest floor.
This is a display of books. Unfortunately, most of them are 2D representations. Fake books. Still a cool space though.
Hmmmm. I wonder if this fabulous new library includes any info about the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Probably not.
It looks amazing but I can't get past the fact that while being distracted in the wonderful world of literature and looking for books you can step straight back off the platform or even when passing people they could step back and knock you off. There are only rails occasionally. I wonder how many injuries they have had?
can i live there? my favourite place in the whole world are libraries, and that library made my head explode. SO MANY BOOKS!!
One one hand I like it, on the other it doesn't look very browser friendly. I kinda enjoy a library where you can just wander around with the chance of stumbling onto something .
The upper stacks may be a projection. If you zoom in on one of the photos, you’ll notice that several of the books are repeated.
am i the only one that wants to know the titles of the trompe-l'oeil books? are they actual books, or made up books? if it were me designing the fake books, i would include all of the fictional books mentioned in various stephen king works (the misery series, thad beaumont's books, etc) and all of the books featured by wes anderson (dudley's world, family of geniuses, old custer, etc from royal tenenbaums; the francis odysseys, the girl from jupiter, etc from moonrise kingdom).
The books I could see closely enough all had real titles. Would you be asking if this library were in Madrid or Stockholm? You
Load More Replies...1. Looks like Inside Out 2. I was worried about how would they get to the higger shelfs jajajaja XD
Omg, I would love to go here, I love to read, and I’ve read more books than anyone in my classes, and I hope that many people will love this library
That is an impressive building!! I wonder who had to sort the books out in to alphabetical order??
In a library, the alphabetical order is never used. Usually, the Library of Congress or the Dewey decimal systems are used.
Load More Replies...It does take my breath away ! We have beautiful library that I was in every week or two. E-books, from all the books in my state libraries, now are so much easier... no returns ; no time to & from the library. I do miss out on knowing some of the activities , i.e., free guitar lessons, etc.
conspicuous waste of space and materials to create a show. I'm sure the books on the shelves have been censored and you cannot find any criticism of the CPC.
It looks awesome but how in the world is anyone supposed to check out all those books on the top? Lol
The library exists in the country where no freedom of speech and freedom of press. What an irony!
They're painted on. You can see a series repeated on each row. They're rainbow coloured.
Load More Replies...It is beautiful, but let's not forget that many great books are banned in China.
You might be surprised if you go checking books in a Chinese city library, say,the Beijing Library which has a collection of millions. You will find all the great books of western civilizations in Chinese. But if you mean modern day politically oriented books attacking or distorting Chinese government I would agree with you, the same with the US. You might not be able to find books in English by Solzhenitsyn, "Two Hundred Years Together", or "The Bought Journalism" by Udo Ulfkotte, who was murdered early this year. You might find dozens if not hundreds books banned in the US but some were published in small independent publishers, like the American Free Press. Yes, some books praise Nazi Hitler, or question the death of General Patton, or records of the Court Martial of Admiral Kimmel and General Walter Short. Shall we bring in those expose the the Warren Committee on JFK,... if you find them in stores selling rare books, they might cost hundreds of dollars. It is a sad reality.
Load More Replies...It looks cool but it's a very impractical design. How do you reach most of those books?
Those that people can't reach are not real books but wallpaper prints, you can see it on the photos that the pattern is repeating sometimes.
Load More Replies...Why are you so sure? Have you been? Do they block laboring people?
Load More Replies...E-books, other libraries, books relocations, library expansions.... No need to worry. ♥
Load More Replies...They probably have it on their computer database and indications where to find it, if you're looking for something specific. It might be tiring, though, to pick a random book
Load More Replies...It is an interesting design, but it doesn't seem warm, homey, and comfortable--which is what I like when I sit down to read a book.
It's also not your own culture, which can give a completely different vibe to the Chinese than it would a Westerner.
Load More Replies...Very nice looking library building. I wonder if those books in the upper shelves are simply there for show. There doesn't seem to be a way to reach them unless you're a rock climber. However, I think I prefer traditional library buildings. I believe they are far more silent because of the shelving. This one could prove to be really loud and distracting.
On the upper "shelves" the books are painted on the wall, you can see it in the video
Load More Replies...The library design is stunning .. it would be heaven to visit it personally.
Why people all so judgmental? Is it soooo hard to admit this is a nice library and it's in China? I'd say over 80% people criticizing China even has never been there before and if you actually get the chance to go to this beautiful country you'd found it is not like what the western media describes. Anyway I am Chinese and I am proud of my country
I don't think anyone's criticizing the library's beauty. The criticism all has to do with the practicality and design. I'm hoping that what we're seeing here is mostly the grand foyer and tucked inside are many quieter reading rooms, areas that are useful for the elderly, handicapped, and children, etc.
Load More Replies...While it looks like a fantastic place to visit, just looking at all those steps make my arthritic knees hurt!
Sadly, too often the designers don't include accessibility for the disabled in their calculations...
Load More Replies...The Chinese reports say it's designed after waves: the name Binhai means seashore, and of course Tianjin is a port. It has over a million books, and there are lots of places to sit and read, but some of those upper shelves are just design. I'm a bit surprised by the condescension that shows in a lot of the comments here. Come on, Pandas, we can do better.
Absolutely beatiful. And pure propaganda in a country where writers, thinkers & booksellers have to fear for their lives https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/28/in-hong-kongs-book-industry-everybody-is-scared
1.2 million books, and every single one gone through censorship!
very 'cold' for a library... could fit better for an airport, maybe...
I'd be proud to have a library like that. I find it to have a nice, clean look and tremendous calming effects.
This nerd looks it! Then again, I love the Trinity College library in Dublin, I love the Beauty and the Beast library. If it has books, I am so there!
Makes me dizzy... Too bad it's in China. Would love to visit... I love libraries. And book shops. And book sales. And random piles of books. And books....
I think it's cool 😎 and makes old books stand out against a modern complement
Love the walls, not so fond of the big ball in the middle. But all in all it isreally nice, that libraries for 'analogue' books ;-) are still being built!
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful information specially the last part I care for such info a lot. I was seeking this particular information for a very long time. Thank you and good luck. My web https://ebrevinil.com
The report is misleading. While it can hold up to 1.2 million books, there is actually not a single book in the place! Only a few government propaganda books on a trolley on the floor. I know because my architect has been there. Why on earth they built it is anyone's guess. Haha!
It's very beautiful but for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues it sucks.
You all do realize a lot of those books are, like, wallpaper? Still, a stunning architectural achievement.
It might be a challenge for old people and physically handicapped. A hazardous place for young, active kids as well.
The design is absolutely stunning, I'd hate to be the librarian that has to restock the books that just came in. I wonder if it's all alphabet ical? But then again maybe all the books are in Chinese🤔
All that books are painted on the wall, and the few that can be read, people has to sit on the floor to do it. Looks nice, functions terrible.
SUPERB! - An absolutely stunning design! Also - check-out the main library of Mexico City! ...the US? - meh.
How many of the 'books' are actually books? And where do people sit to read? Libraries are some of my favourite buildings / places in the world, but this doesn't look like one.
Normally I'm all over creative design, especially in architecture but this doesn't do it for me at all. The upper parts just being wallpaper is hideous. Two thumbs down for this design. It doesn't have a good 'feel' for a place of reading. Looks like it was designed by a non-reader.
Look awesome and totally sci-fiish :D <3 I wonder how they reach books from those upper levels that are extending towards the top of the sphere :D :D
It looks to me like the sort of building that might have been designed by the late, great Zaha Hadid. Does anyone know whether she was the original Architect?
It looks beautiful, but I'm not comfortable with heights, so I'd probably not be able to access anything more than six feet off the lowest floor.
This is a display of books. Unfortunately, most of them are 2D representations. Fake books. Still a cool space though.
Hmmmm. I wonder if this fabulous new library includes any info about the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. Probably not.
It looks amazing but I can't get past the fact that while being distracted in the wonderful world of literature and looking for books you can step straight back off the platform or even when passing people they could step back and knock you off. There are only rails occasionally. I wonder how many injuries they have had?
can i live there? my favourite place in the whole world are libraries, and that library made my head explode. SO MANY BOOKS!!
One one hand I like it, on the other it doesn't look very browser friendly. I kinda enjoy a library where you can just wander around with the chance of stumbling onto something .
The upper stacks may be a projection. If you zoom in on one of the photos, you’ll notice that several of the books are repeated.
am i the only one that wants to know the titles of the trompe-l'oeil books? are they actual books, or made up books? if it were me designing the fake books, i would include all of the fictional books mentioned in various stephen king works (the misery series, thad beaumont's books, etc) and all of the books featured by wes anderson (dudley's world, family of geniuses, old custer, etc from royal tenenbaums; the francis odysseys, the girl from jupiter, etc from moonrise kingdom).
The books I could see closely enough all had real titles. Would you be asking if this library were in Madrid or Stockholm? You
Load More Replies...1. Looks like Inside Out 2. I was worried about how would they get to the higger shelfs jajajaja XD
Omg, I would love to go here, I love to read, and I’ve read more books than anyone in my classes, and I hope that many people will love this library
That is an impressive building!! I wonder who had to sort the books out in to alphabetical order??
In a library, the alphabetical order is never used. Usually, the Library of Congress or the Dewey decimal systems are used.
Load More Replies...It does take my breath away ! We have beautiful library that I was in every week or two. E-books, from all the books in my state libraries, now are so much easier... no returns ; no time to & from the library. I do miss out on knowing some of the activities , i.e., free guitar lessons, etc.
conspicuous waste of space and materials to create a show. I'm sure the books on the shelves have been censored and you cannot find any criticism of the CPC.
It looks awesome but how in the world is anyone supposed to check out all those books on the top? Lol
The library exists in the country where no freedom of speech and freedom of press. What an irony!
They're painted on. You can see a series repeated on each row. They're rainbow coloured.
Load More Replies...It is beautiful, but let's not forget that many great books are banned in China.
You might be surprised if you go checking books in a Chinese city library, say,the Beijing Library which has a collection of millions. You will find all the great books of western civilizations in Chinese. But if you mean modern day politically oriented books attacking or distorting Chinese government I would agree with you, the same with the US. You might not be able to find books in English by Solzhenitsyn, "Two Hundred Years Together", or "The Bought Journalism" by Udo Ulfkotte, who was murdered early this year. You might find dozens if not hundreds books banned in the US but some were published in small independent publishers, like the American Free Press. Yes, some books praise Nazi Hitler, or question the death of General Patton, or records of the Court Martial of Admiral Kimmel and General Walter Short. Shall we bring in those expose the the Warren Committee on JFK,... if you find them in stores selling rare books, they might cost hundreds of dollars. It is a sad reality.
Load More Replies...It looks cool but it's a very impractical design. How do you reach most of those books?
Those that people can't reach are not real books but wallpaper prints, you can see it on the photos that the pattern is repeating sometimes.
Load More Replies...Why are you so sure? Have you been? Do they block laboring people?
Load More Replies...E-books, other libraries, books relocations, library expansions.... No need to worry. ♥
Load More Replies...
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