Tianjin Binhai Library
(Image copyright MVRDV)
In June 2016, the Tianjin Binhai Library in China, designed by Dutch architects MVRDV neared completion. Designed in collaboration with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute (TUPDI), the library is part of a larger plan to provide a cultural district for the city.
The futuristic library is topped with cathedral-like vaulted arches and sits within a sheltered gallery, which winds its way throughout the scheme.
(Image copyright MVRDV)
The Eye, a mirrored sphere with an auditorium, props up an oval opening which punctures through the building. Stepped bookshelves are represented on the exterior, each level doubling up as a louvre reaching out and wrapped around the façade.
(Image copyright MVRDV)
MVRDV co-founder Winy Maas said: “The Eye is the centre of the library. It ‘hollows out’ the building and creates, out of bookshelves, an environment to sit, to read, to hang out, to climb and to access, to create an organic social space. In its heart is the auditorium which mirrors the environment, giving a 360-degree panorama of the space inside; a truly reflective and pensive environment.”
(Image copyright MVRDV)
The five-storey building contains extensive educational facilities. The basement level contains service spaces, book storage and a large archive; the ground floor includes easy-access reading areas for children and the elderly as well as the main entrance and auditorium. The first and second storeys consist of reading rooms, books and lounge areas; whilst the top two storeys include meeting rooms, offices and computer rooms.
(Image copyright MVRDV)
Tianjin Library is due to open in mid-2017, and will become a hub for the central-business district (CBD), old town, residential districts, commercial areas and the government quarter.
Content and images courtesy of MVRDV.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Ireland's National Residential Retrofit Plan
Staged initiatives introduced step by step.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.
Reflecting on the work of the CIOB Academy
Looking back on 2025 and where it's going next.
Procurement in construction: Knowledge hub
Brief, overview, key articles and over 1000 more covering procurement.
Sir John Betjeman’s love of Victorian church architecture.
Exchange for Change for UK deposit return scheme
The UK Deposit Management Organisation established to deliver Deposit Return Scheme unveils trading name.
A guide to integrating heat pumps
As the Future Homes Standard approaches Future Homes Hub publishes hints and tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists.
BSR as a standalone body; statements, key roles, context
Statements from key figures in key and changing roles.
ECA launches Welsh Election Manifesto
ECA calls on political parties at 100 day milestone to the Senedd elections.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.
Plastic, recycling and its symbol
Student competition winning, M.C.Esher inspired Möbius strip design symbolising continuity within a finite entity.
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.