Designed by Danish studio Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, the Shanghai Library East finally opened for the public in China in September 2022. Spanning over an area of 115,000 sq.m., the library is the biggest in the country. Located in the Pudong district of China, it is a new cultural destination and landmark, with the primary function centring around art, culture and technology-driven learning in Shanghai. The artworks are installed in various locations within the library, creating a unique experience for visitors.
In 1995, the Shanghai Institute of Scientific and Technological Information and Shanghai Library merged, bringing forward a comprehensive public library, the first in China to combine public library services with scientific research functions.
Housing a diverse range of books, Shanghai Library East will host lectures, seminars, events, and performances for 4 million visitors annually. These programs will be held in 111,480 sq.m. in open, flexible and interconnected environments.
About The Firm | Schmidt Hammer Lassen
With over three decades of experience, Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL) Architects is one of Scandinavia’s award-winning architectural practices. Located in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Shanghai, they provide architectural services worldwide. Founded in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1986 by architects Morten Schmidt, John F. Lassen and Bjarne Hammer, the studio has completed several libraries worldwide. It is currently working on cultural projects in China. These projects include Dokk1 Royal Danish Library, the Christchurch Central Library, and State Library Victoria.
Architecture and Interiors of the Library
The main structure is supported by two pavilions, making the main volume appear to “float”. This is because the trees at the bottom cover the pavilions. One of the pavilions hosts a theatre, exhibition and events space, while the other houses a children’s library with outdoor play spaces. Beautiful views overlooking Century Park are acquired with the provision of outdoor reading spaces on top of the library.
‘The smart and hybrid Shanghai Library East is a new-generation library. It is not only a place for storing and lending books, or a reading room, but also an open space for culture and art,’ said the director of the Shanghai Library, Chen Chao. ‘Exhibitions, lectures, music, art, experiencing technologies, and even entering the library, are seen as a kind of ‘reading.”
The library features interconnected spaces connected by the central atrium on the main level. Made out of bamboo, terrazzo, and oak, the atrium connects the library’s seven levels— all visible from the central atrium. The main floor level is used to host exhibitions and holds a cafe and a bookstore. ‘Being an integral part of our lives, libraries have formed the backbone of communities. We refer to them as the ‘third space’—a highly personal place between our home and work,’ SHL chief architect and design director Chris Hardie explains.
Reinterpreting Ancient Chinese Culture
Taihu stones, or scholars’ rocks, served as sources of meditation and inspiration in the Jin dynasty. These stones were treasured for their unique textures, perforated surfaces and abstract qualities. SHL evoked a scholar’s rock in a Chinese garden in its architecture, interior design, and programming.
‘This library was a unique opportunity to reinterpret a cherished Chinese symbol through architecture and design,’ says project architect Jing Lin. ‘In ancient times, scholars would gather around Taihu stones, deriving inspiration from their edges, curvatures, canyons, and tunnels, which seemed to shift when viewed from different vantage points. Similarly, as visitors move about Shanghai Library East, their views of its interconnecting spaces shapeshift.’
The library’s facade was designed to symbolise printed literature— an abstract motif depicting photographs of marble swirls that were ‘printed’ onto the exterior’s glass panels to represent the library’s cover. Arranged horizontally with varying transparency, the panels allow light to penetrate, illuminating the space.
Community-Building | Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Over 80% of the library’s space is dedicated to community space, hosting over 1,200 events and bringing in four million visitors annually. ‘This important cultural centre for the citizens of Shanghai embraces the idea of ‘collection to connection’—a space to bring people together. It’s the city’s gift to them,’ said Chris Hardie. Contemporary artists were invited from nationally and internationally to create site-specific installations centring around the theme of print, book or stone. The program was themed ‘Mediums: The Development of Writing’, curated by the manufacturing company Urban Art Projects (UAP). The works are intended to inspire readers and celebrate knowledge. Some artists were Xu Bing, Gu Wenda, Emily Floyd, Mia Liu, Plummer & Smith, and Yang Zhenzhong.
- Online sources
Citations for websites:
Christina Yao (2022). Schmidt Hammer Lassen wraps China’s biggest library in marble-printed glass façade. [online]. Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/30/schmidt-hammer-lassen-biggest-library-china-shanghai-library-east/amp/ [Accessed 03 October 2022].
Lea Zeitoun (2022). One of the world’s largest libraries opens in Shanghai, boasting sculptural forms. [online]. Available at: https://www.designboom.com/architecture/shanghai-library-east-opens-to-public-shl-china-09-30-2022/ [Accessed 03 October 2022].
Retail in Asia (2022). One of the world’s largest libraries opens in Shanghai. [online]. Available at: https://retailinasia.com/featured/one-of-the-worlds-largest-libraries-opens-in-shanghai/ [Accessed 03 October 2022].
Schmidt Hammer Lassen (n.d.). Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects. [online]. Available at: https://www.shl.dk/about-us/ [Accessed 09 October 2022].
Schmidt Hammer Lassen (n.d.). Shanghai East Library. [online]. Available at: https://www.shl.dk/shanghai-east-library/ [Accessed 09 October 2022].
Josh Niland (2022). Explore Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects’ new Shanghai Library East, one of the largest libraries in the world. [online]. Available at: https://archinect.com/news/article/150325424/explore-schmidt-hammer-lassen-architects-new-shanghai-library-east-one-of-the-largest-libraries-in-the-world [Accessed 09 October 2022].
- Images/visual mediums
Citations for images/photographs – Print or Online:
Fangfang, T. (2022). Shanghai East Library- SHL. [Photograph].
Fangfang, T. (2022). Library Interior- SHL. [Photograph].
Schmidt Hammer Lassen. (n.d.) SHL. [Photograph].
Fangfang, T. (2022). Shanghai East Library’s Floating Pavilion. [Photograph].
Fangfang, T. (2022). The Atrium in the Shanghai East Library. [Photograph].
Schmidt Hammer Lassen. (2022). Shanghai East Library- SHL. [Photograph].
Schmidt Hammer Lassen. (2022). Shanghai East Library- SHL. [Photograph].
Fangfang, T. (2022). Lecture Hall- Shanghai East Library. [Photograph].
