SONGDO LIBRARY
a new community resource that connects lifelong learning and diverse people for a young city
Design Philosophy: Yin Yang
Modern Libraries have become both places to store / retrieve information and places to exchange / create information. This complimentary duality of modern libraries embodies the timeless philosophy of Yin Yang, bringing together:
print and digital
solitary and communal
tradition and modernity
intellectual and social
thought and action
quiet and noise
learning and teaching
young and old
The Architecture of this design manifests Yin Yang through the complimentary dualities of
east and west sloping roofs … connecting sunrise and sunset… ground and sky
wood and grass sloping roof decks…meeting in the middle for gathering in and viewing out
open and enclosed
mobile and fixed
intimacy and grandeur
tradition and modern
sun and shadow
wood and glass
up and down
in and out
Site Strategy: Rotated Building Mass
The building form is turned 45 degrees to the plot and street grid to:
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dynamically interact and connect with its neighboring buildings, landscapes and views
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optimize the amount of outdoor pedestrian recreation and gathering on ground and roofs
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align with the orientation of the adjacent residential towers
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openly engage with the kindergarten buildings. (Afterall a library is place to launch lifelong learning.)
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stand out yet fit in
