Chinese architecture practice 3andwich Design / He Wei Studio has built a circular library that features a rooftop pool on a hilly terrain in Shuangyue Bay Central Park, Pinghai Town, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China.

Named Water Drop Library, the 450-square-metre library is comprised of two distinct geometric shapes: a circular outer skin forms the building and an elongated long wall in which the two elements create a sharp composition and tension in its surrounding. 

Library serving surrounding new communities

An infinite circular rooftop pool adds another layer to the building, acting as a soft and observatory element, which surprises the visitors. With this pool, the library seems to be both lighter and floating in the air.

The studio sees the shape of natural topography as both a challenging situation and an advantage contributing to the form of the library. 

Building hidden under roof pool

Site conditions: advantages and challenges coexisting

"The park is between the ancient town of Pinghai and the sea, not far from the famous Shuangyue Bay Turtle Reserve. The overall terrain of the park is high in the north and low in the south, with hills and valleys in the north and the sea in the south. The project base is close to the center of the park and is an independent and prominent "peninsula shaped" hill," said 3andwich Design / He Wei Studio.  

"The trend of the hill is from northeast to southwest, so the view in the north is dominated by hills and valleys, and the view in the south is 270 degrees of excellent sea view." 

"The hills in the park are soft in shape and not magnificent, but there are a number of boulders, which provide an important support for the shaping of the landscape," the studio added.

Relationship between building and site

While creating the, there were also challenges according to the studio. For instance, several residential buildings exist in the east and southeast of the base, and the high volume of the residence blocks the sight of the building to a certain extent. 

According to the team, the height of the library must have been strictly controlled to avoid blocking the sight of low-rise residents in the north side of the building to watch the sea. 

Since there was a multi-storey building in the southwest of the park, the view was not ideal, and it also would have a negative impact on the sea view of the library.

Building embedded into site

Location and shape: a white library under a pool of water

"The design strives to integrate the cultural attribute of the library, the environmental attribute of the site and the public attribute of contemporary society," as the team explained. 

The studio planned the location of the building at the end of the mountain top and arranged at the cliff mouth according to the topographic height difference. 

Building located on hill, facing the sea

While the building is integrated with the hill, it becomes a part of the site. "Such treatment can not only make the library have the largest viewing surface, but also control the height of the building to the greatest extent on the premise of reducing the amount of earthwork, without blocking the view of the sea of the residence behind," the team added.

The general form of the library strives to have poetic tension: when visitors looking down from a high place, the building is very geometric with a circle and a straight line that forms the wall. 

Symbiosis between architecture and environment. Image © He Wei

The plane shape of the main part of the building is circular, and the straight line is the outdoor corridor and long wall, which introduces people from the top of the hill into the building. 

The whole library is made of white color, and the edges of corridor, long wall and roof strengthen the sense of geometric composition. 

The section of the building roof is bowl shaped, and the transparent glass in the reading area gives the roof a sense of suspension. Inside the bowl shaped roof is a pool, which gives the building a kind of dramatic implication - an underwater library.

Building floating on the edge of cliff

The long wall not only shields the unfavorable factors in the southwest of the site, but also plays a guiding role. It guides people's attention to the pool and the sea, and leads readers to approach and enter the building along this specific line. 

At sunset, before the sun falls into the sea, there will be a few minutes that the setting sun lengthens the shadows along the long wall and corridor. This adds a romantic color to the building.

Building presenting a sense of geometric composition

Spatial sequence: overlapping of light and dark, opening and closing, circuitousness and straightness

The architects noted that "the process of entering the library is not simple". Since the building is located on a hill, the architects created a "tortuous path" on the north slope of the hill. 

"Readers need to step up and understand the pain of learning in their slightly tired body. Therefore, it is also called "a path to the mountain of books"," the office added.

"When you reach the top of the mountain, you can see straight corridor and long wall, which guide people towards the sea and building with a "tough" attitude. What readers need to do is to follow this arrangement and be guided into the underwater library."

Library viewed from northwest

The circular space forms the main use of the building located below the pool. "The process of entering the building is a journey to reunderstand nature and oneself. To enter the building, you need to go down the corridor and "dive in" under the pool," the architects added.

Inside, the architects created a series of dramatic spaces with light and dark, opening and closing overlapping, resembling a cave. 

The first scene for people to enter the building is the porch, which is located at the end of the outdoor corridor, a relatively narrow transition space. Turning left from the porch, visitors will enter the circular space in the middle of the building. 

Long wall as important part of spatial sequence. Image © He Wei

The interface of the space is simple and meditative for visitors. 

The architects aimed to keep this place mysterious and dark. It provides a guide for entering the reading area. Some small exhibitions or parties can also be arranged here. 

Access to roof pool hidden behind long wall

The dark space has a "hole" connected with the reading space, which is located in the outer ring of the building and is a bright semi-circular space. It has nearly 270 degrees of floor glass, transparent and open, through which you can see the blue sky and sea.

Another entrance and exit of the building is located in the southeast, from where people can leave the library and then bypass boulders in the site circuitously to return to the top of the hill.

Enter the building from downlink channel

Indoor atmosphere: light, color and materials deducing the theme of space

The indoor tone of the reading area is mainly white, light gray and other bright colors, and the curve shape is used to create a relaxing and fashionable atmosphere. Seats and small tables are placed along the outer glass curtain wall, where readers can read quietly and overlook the scenery. 

The bookshelves are arranged in a ring along the inner wall and extend outward in the ceiling and ground areas to form a cloud like shape. The part extending to the ground also becomes a free reading area, where some readers who do not want to sit upright can enjoy the afternoon time with books here, leaning or lolling.

Looking back at hallway from dark hall

Two independent spaces are arranged on both sides of the reading area: VIP tea room and rest rooms. The VIP tea room is an introspective space. The interior continues the simple style, with tea tables and seats, which can be used for solitude or for talks. 

The room is specially decorated with an original stone. Sitting while facing the stone, you can also have a close view of the beauty of mountain and stone while reading and drinking tea. For the rest rooms, a dramatic effect is specially created, and the contrast colors and optical fiber device both give people physical hints.

Dark room in the middle

The water bar is located between the rest rooms and the reading area, which not only divides the dynamic and static area, but also plays a transitional role. The ceiling part of the bar area has a light opening to the pool on the roof. 

The architects deliberately designed a color device on the facade on the south side of the daylighting opening. Through it, the sunlight is rendered as colored light, which is scattered into the space in a blurred form, adding a bit of charm to the building.

Dark space in the middle and bright space on the outside

Pool and landscape: a dialogue between man, the sea and the blue sky

The landscape of the project strives to be pure. As the base of the building, the vegetation on the top of the hill is mainly low awn grass and green plants, which set off the clean shape of the building. Several boulders in the site are carefully preserved and combined with the path to become the prospect while watching the building.

At the top of the hill, the white corridor and long wall become artifacts in the natural landscape. The pure geometric shapes well attract the attention of users and lead people to the direction of the roof pool and the sea.

Reading space

The roof pool is somewhat with a utopian sense. The architects and owners hope to surprise users and even this small city in the south. Guests can follow the hidden path on the north side of the long wall to the small platform in the pool, and reach the daylighting opening and platform located in the middle of the pool through the stepping stones on water surface. 

There is no fence at the edge of the pool, which ensures the integrity and purity of the building. However, the architects used the stepping stones and the water depth around the platform to restrict people from entering the pool to ensure safety. From a specific location on the top of the hill, people can see the sea level in the distance by glancing over the pool. Water, sky and the sea are integrated here and now.

Sea viewable in reading space

Conclusion: building with both physical experience and visual communication

The design of this library continues the consistent design concept of 3andwich Design team for landscape architecture. The starting point of the design starts from the site. The building is properly embedded in the site, but it has a sense of existence, and becomes the connection point between people and the environment. 

Architecture does not deliberately pursue natural imitation. The concise geometry shows the abstraction as an artifact and respect for the environment. At the same time, the building is full of drama and narrative. It does not deliberately avoid visualization and dissemination. The architects hope that the building can be competent at both ends of on-site physical experience and visual communication.

Reading in harmony with nature

Water bar

Sea level viewable over roof pool

Long wall, louver and round roof forming an abstract composition

Underwater stepping stones for walking

Accessible roof pool

Lighting keeping the site quiet

Long wall and roof pool

Long wall, roof pool and louver

Library in sunset

Site plan

Floor plan

Section

South façade

Wall detail drawing

Sketch

Sketch

Project facts

Project name: Water Drop Library

Location: Shuangyue Bay, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, China

Owner: Huizhou Shuangyue Bay Real Estate Investment and Development Co., Ltd.

Architectural and interior design: 3andwich Design / He Wei Studio

Principal architects: He Wei, Chen Long

Project architects: Wang Ziyi(architecture), Meng Xiangting(interior)

Design team: Zhou Junjie, Wan Yuexiao, Liu Song, Sang Wanchen, Liu Yong, Zhu Yanming, Yan Ziming(intern)

Structure engineer: Pan Congjian

Landscape design: TOPOS Landscape Architects

Lighting design: Guangzhu International Lighting Design Co. Ltd (Beijing)

Owner design management team: Luo Shaochuan, Liu Shaowen, Yu Yanfei, Li Guohao

Owner Engineering Management team: Liu Zhifei, Lin Yonghua

Construction area: 450sqm

Site area: 3500sqm

Design time: Aug. 2020 - April 2021

Completion time: April 2022

Top image: Mainly internally transparent building lighting. Image © Jin Weiqi.

All images © Jin Weiqi unless otherwise stated. 

All drawings © 3andwich Design / He Wei Studio

> via 3andwich Design / He Wei Studio

3andwich Design / He Wei Studio library pool