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Overlooking a coastal escarpment in Huizhou City, China, the Water Drop Library is a study in experiential design. Patrons access the building via a long passageway, which emerges into a circular pod like a droplet rendered in concrete, glass and steel. Beijing’s 3andwich Design set an outdoor pool atop this structure and laid out the interiors via a series of concentric circles: There’s an inner sanctum or antechamber, which gives way to a sunlit outer ring. Here, visitors can browse the stacks before undergoing yet another experiential transformation — the one that happens when you lose yourself in a good book.

Team: Wei He with Long Chen, Ziyi Wang and Xiangting Meng

Award of Merit: Buildings Under 1,000SqM
The Water Drop Library

The Water Drop Library in Huizhou City, China, is a study in experiential design.

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2021
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