Danish architectural firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has completed its first library project in China. 

Named Ningbo New Library, the building is located 200 kilometres south of Shanghai at the centre of Ningbo, China’s new cultural hub, the library is a vital element in the ongoing development of the city.

Covering a total of 31,800-square-metre area, the new Ningbo New Library is organized around an 8,000-square-metre open "square" on the first level. 

It comprises the most popular library functions and collections including the main lobby, reader services, children’s library, 24-hour library, a library for the visually impaired, two lecture halls, a café, and the grand reading room. 

The ground floor is visually open on all sides, connecting it to an external public plaza and a landscaped ecological park and lake.

Founded in 1927, the original Ningbo City Library held the largest collection of historic and ancient books in the region and attracted three to four thousand daily visitors. 

The new library, with its open, accessible architecture, aims to double the number of daily visitors and become the cultural heart of the community.

"We first came to Ningbo seven years ago when the Eastern New Town area of Ningbo was just beginning to slowly redevelop," said Chris Hardie, Partner and Design Director Shanghai at Schmidt Hammer Lassen. 

"To see the library completed and part of not only the new ecological wetland landscape, but also the fabric of the local culture, is a rewarding milestone for our team."

An airy, welcoming new home to two million books

"We wanted to create a very legible building for Ningbo," said Hardie. "The previous library was quite labyrinthine, so Ningbo New Library has an intentional spatial clarity."

In the heart of the library is a central atrium that cuts vertically through the building’s five levels. The generous, 28-metre-high space connects the ground floor square with a series of quieter research spaces and the historic collections on the floors above. 

The use of natural daylight in all interior spaces is optimized through the building orientation, and natural ventilation is maximized through the central atrium.

A landscape of contemplation

The spatial and architectural concept for the library creates a strong identity at the heart of the development. 

The journey to the main entrance over the wetland takes the user through a journey of escapism and contemplation where bridges, walkways, water, and nature blend as one sculptural landscape. A distinct and open facade welcomes visitors while casting a shimmering reflection on the lake.

The serene surrounding library landscape contains gardens where ponds form habitats for aquatic plants and animals and where the sky reflects in the pools’ surfaces. The landscape acts as a retreat for meditation and contemplation where people can disconnect from their busy daily lives and enjoy tranquility and relaxation.

Ningbo New Library is one of several Schmidt Hammer Lassen projects that have recently completed in Ningbo, China. The firm has also recently completed the headquarters for Ningbo Daily Newspaper Group as well as the sprawling Ningbo Home of Staff.

Site plan

Level 1 plan

Level 2 plan

Section

South Elevation - water front 

West elevation - main entrance 

West elevation - main entrance 

South elevation - water front

Section

Sketch

Project facts

Client: City of Ningbo, Ningbo Library

Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

Landscape Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

Interior Design: Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

Building Area: 31,800 m²

Competition: 1st prize, restricted invited international competition

Status: Completed, 2019

Artist collaboration: Richard Sweeney

Art facilitation and fabrication: UAP

All images © Adam Mørk

All drawings © Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects

> via Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects