The intersection of design and culture: The New Guangzhou Library and its relationship to the city

Abstract

A new facility for the Guangzhou Library was recently completed, and it is currently among the largest in China. It is situated on Flower City Square in Guangzhou’s Zhujiang New City, which is home to the city’s most modern cultural institutions. It was designed by an international team from Japan and China. The design is based on the Chinese character “之”, and its exterior walls are inspired by a collection of books, an idea the designers call “美丽书籍”, or “Beautiful Books.” The facility is a cultural landmark and represents a new direction in architecture and design for Chinese libraries. The paper explores the facility’s relationship with the square and the surrounding institutions, the Guangzhou Opera House, the Guangdong Museum, and the Second Children’s Palace. Additionally, the paper examines both the exterior and interior designs of the facility to show how it not only represents a break from traditional library design in China, but also the ways in which design and planning have created a library that captures the spirit of the city and is prepared to engage with and meet the various needs of its users.