The main public library at night resembles a giant square jewelry box partially covered with black velvet. On the other hand, the library in daylight looks like a giant tree growing out from the courtyard at the center of the building. Through layers of spatial design and applications, it makes one reflect on how we comprehend and imagine architecture. 

Image: Tourism Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government

With weight-reducing design and glass curtain, the Kaohsiung main public library is the library with the highest light penetrability in the world. The balanced transformation of light and shade corresponds to the position of the sun, turning the building into a natural timer. People in the library can not only experience the scenery brought by the architectural aesthetics but also feel nature’s living tempo of seasons.

Image: Tourism Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government

Image: Wikimedia Commons

This is a library that surpasses all the common perceptions and imaginations of an ordinary library. There are water views and green corridors on the both sides of the main building. Also, there is one garden plaza planted with actual trees, which offers a comfortable environment that is perfect for temporal relaxation. Greenness, mild lighting and gentle wind flow in the space of the library. It will be a great delight to just pick a book and read at any corner.

Image: Tourism Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Edited by Shawn Chou

This content is sponsored by Tourism Bureau of the Kaohsiung City Government.

Additional Reading

♦ Don’t Abandon the Humanities
♦ Reading and Writing – An Antiquated Way of Thinking?
♦ The Most Beautiful MRT Station, Charming from Inside Out