Library of Wenzheng College

The library was designed to make people aware that they live between mountains and water, the spirit of the region’s classical gardens. The design is by a Chinese practice.

A hill of bamboo rises to the north and a lake, once a disused brickfield, lies to the south. The site falls four metres toward the water.

By the rules of garden making, buildings between hill and water should not stand out, so almost half the library is underground. The three-storey building shows only two storeys at the entrance. The main rectangular volume floats over the water, facing south into the summer breeze.

From hill to water, four separate pavilions are set into the complex. Shifting from one scale to another is the soul of the traditional garden, and for a scholar the small houses matter most. A pavilion standing in the water is meant for reading poetry and philosophy.