Danish designer Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has beaten a field that included "starchitects" David Chipperfield, Dominique Perrault and Kengo Kuma to design a library in Shanghai, China.
The 125,000 square metre project will be located in Shanghai’s eastern Pudong District close to Century Park. It is set beneath an atrium, and above two pavilions that include wooden reading rooms, a 1,200-capacity venue, an events space and a children’s library.
The library will also contain the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information.
Chris Hardie, a partner in Schmidt Hammer Lassen, said: "One of the most compelling things about this project is its location within a parkland setting. You are in the heart of the world’s largest city, yet we have the opportunity to create a sanctuary for knowledge and media in the trees."
Morten Schmidt, another partner, said: "A modern library is not only a place for the storage and lending of different materials, it is also a place to stay, a place for social interaction and a place to be inspired and surprised."
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has previously designed a cloud-inspired pavilion and an office building in Shanghai.
The library is due to open in 2020.
Images via Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
