Tainan City, Taiwan
Designed as a collaboration between Mecanoo and MAYU, the newly opened library takes is inspired by the local culture, and has been designed for the tropical climate of Tainan.
The oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan has a rich history influenced by different cultures. There are remnants of maritime trade with Europe in the 17th-Century, of the Chinese Ming Dynasty, and Japanese settlements from the beginning of the 20th-Century.
The city is rich in temples, including the famous 17th-Century Confucius Temple with its cantilevered roofs and beautifully carved ceilings.
The new library takes from this history, is inspired by the local culture, and has been designed for the tropical climate of Tainan.
It is home to the city’s cultural heritage, modern art, music, films, and over a million books, including more than 16,000 from the Japanese occupation period, and of course, is equipped with the latest technologies of a modern library.
The stepped building offers shelter to visitors both inside and outside and creates a smooth transition from exterior and interior.
Below the cantilevers are four sunken patios for outdoor activities, with the largest accessible from the square; lectures, concerts, and exhibitions can be organized here.
Looking up, you can see the special finish of the awnings: champagne-colored aluminium panels with a linear staggered relief, providing additional decorative elements to the facades.
The rational construction of the library allows maximum flexibility so that the building is prepared for future changes.
Once inside, the double-height atrium is inhabited with a work of art by Paul Cocksedge.
The installation seems to freeze the moment when white sheets of paper are blown away by the wind, symbolising freedom of thought and the pleasure of reading.
Art is exhibited everywhere in the building, not just to look at but also interactive art to touch and play with.
A red sculptural staircase adds an exciting element to the geometric building, intersecting all levels and is visible everywhere through the subtle wooden-slatted flight of stairs.
The ground floor is spacious, transparent, and warm due to the wood finish.
Upon entry, you are greeted by an arrivals area and the welcome desk, a living room is also located here where you can read newspapers and magazines.
Touchscreens with which you can explore the collection and a self-service point for borrowing books also feature on this level.
The children’s library with imaginative bookcases and an adjoining patio under the awning for outdoor play is situated below.
This level is also home to a spacious study room with its own entrance, where students can study 24/7.
As you make your way to the upper levels of the building, you first encounter a media library with seating and alcoves where you can watch movies, along with a library for teenagers with its own lounge.
The general collection is located on the level above this.
Beyond there is a floor dedicated to the heritage collection including the Tainan Memorial Exhibition, Japanese Collection Archive, and books by Taiwanese authors.
There are also four outdoor areas situated here, which are arranged as roof gardens, as well as three multifunctional spaces for classrooms/workshops and a cafe.
At the top of the building, you will find the theatre and conference hall, along with offices for members of staff. From the uppermost levels of the building, a beautiful view of the city through the vertical slats is on display.
Furthermore, the building has an art gallery, a maker space, and Braille library.
There is also a bookshop so that you can not only read books but also purchase them.
Tainan Public Library (images by Ethan Lee & Yu-Chen Chao)
Design Architects: Mecanoo
Design Principal: Francine Houben
Mecanoo Design Team: Rodrigo Louro, Friso van der Steen, Rodrigo Bandini, Johan Hanegraaf, Rachel Lin, Yuli Huang, Yuanyuan Chen, Natalia Leszcynska, George Orfanopoulos, Antonio Sanna, Wanjen Lin, Yunying Chiu, Tsailing Shih, Eliano Felicio, Nienke Andersson
Architects of Record: MAYU Architect
Design Principal: Yu-lin Chen
MAYU Design Team: Yunying Chiu, Tsailing Shih, Eliano Felicio, Nienke Andersson (Mecanoo), (SD)Ting-yi Lo, Yun-shan Huang, Che-sheng Wang; (DD/CD)Ting-yi Lo, Che-sheng Wang, Chia-ru Lin, Beatrice Cordella, Meng-yue Ruan, Qi-ping Yang, Li-chi Yeh, Ya-zhi Guo, Che-kang liu; (CA) Yun-shan Huang, Chia-ru Lin, Ting-yi Lo, Ya-yun Wang, Wei-chieh Pan, Yun Chen, Ting-yi Li, Cheng-wei Li, Chih-hung Wang, Yung-hsien Fang, Jui-pao Chan, Tien-hsi Hsu, Ya-tieh Yu, Guanwun Chen, Yu-lun Liang
Client: Tainan Public Library
Photographers: Ethan Lee, Yu-Chen Chao
