The color of the reconstructed building sits in contrast to the language of its urban context, however, this juxtaposition also creates harmony in its contrast as this frenetic urban language frames the calmness and tranquility of the regenerated elevation. By controlling the perforated areas, a series of jumping arcs are introduced to the facade along the street, which not only enriches the visual experience but also acts as a metaphor for an open book. The other two volumes were wrapped in perforated aluminum cladding, which covers the original external wall of the building on the premise of satisfying natural lighting, and at the same time forms the overlapping effect of double facades and the combination of opaque and translucent. Among them, transparent glass curtain walls were adopted in the two diagonally opposite volumes, which narrows the distance between the library and the citizens and shows an open and friendly temperament. According to the orthogonal grid formed by columns and floors, four intersecting building volumes were introduced into the main facade of the North Building, which reshaped the richness and expressiveness of the building. However, the original building structure and exterior wall were left unchanged. Before the renovation, the first and the second floors of the building were rented out to small restaurants and shops, while the third floor of the building was built using color steel plates and was unapproved construction work.ĭuring the renovation of the North Building, the facade decoration elements and the unapproved constructed floor (third floor) were removed. Renovation of North Building: Located at the crossroads of the urban street network, the North building utilized mixed structural systems and outdated design techniques in its construction. The design principle aim was to rejuvenate the old library into a seemingly new, open, and welcoming community space, highlighting and creating a strong contrast with its existing context.

The renovation focuses on the North Building and Main Building. The renovated Ankang library consists of three buildings: The North Building facing the street, the Main Building of the library positioned in the centre, and the self-use office building at the southern end of the courtyard.

Located in the old Ankang city, the original library was opened in 1984 and over the duration of time, the library building and its facilities have started to fall behind the fast-developing information age in terms of hardware and software, prompting a need for a comprehensive regeneration program. Project Background: Ankang is a prefecture-level city located in the south of Shanxi Province in the People’s Republic of China, bordering Hubei province to the east, Chongqing municipality to the south, and Sichuan province to the southwest.

Chief architect knock down library