To visit the Tianjin Binhai Library in China is to step into a futuristic world where the love of reading and innovative design combine, to create a space that’s an Instagram favourite too!
Where Is It?
This awe-inspiring library is in the Binhai District of Tianjin around a 45-minute drive from city properties like Somerset International Building Tianjin. A park stands adjacent to this attraction, one of five interconnected cultural buildings. Opening hours are from 9:30am to 9:30pm and booklovers are bound to spend the entire day here!
The Design
The library, easy to access from a Tianjin serviced apartment, was designed by Dutch-based MVRDV in collaboration with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute. Opened in 2017, it has a sphere at its centre which from the outside, resembles an eye; spanning 33,700 m2, it also features unique cascading bookcases from the floor to the ceiling.
First Impressions
Dubbed “The Eye”, the spherical structure at the Tianjin Binhai Library is in fact an auditorium and will draw your attention; around it, amidst sheer white interiors, terraced layers spread upward and create levels in which to browse, read and socialise. The space is truly immense and can hold up to 1.2 million books!
The Layout
There are five levels with reading areas for senior citizens and kids to be found on the ground floor. Apart from plenty of books, reading rooms and lounges feature on the first and second floors, while the upper floors have additional spaces for audio and computer facilities and meetings; there are two rooftop patios as well.
