The existing Pingtung Public Library, originally built in 1983, is a typical example of public buildings built before the democratization of Taiwan. Among other things, the most problematic of all is that its main entrance has no direct connection to the main street, making the building almost hidden from the city.

Therefore, we propose a new and transparent lobby and attach it to the western side of the existing building. At urban scale, it turns the orientation 90 degrees to face the city and reconnects the library to citizen’s daily life; at architectural scale, it serves as a big window linking the interior to the exterior, showing the activities in the library to the city and also takes in the surrounding landscape, bringing vitality to the interior atmosphere.

The new lobby is a parallelogram open-plan supported by continuous V-shaped steel structure. Several “Activity Islands” are arranged with triangular elements, including a sunken seating area, a floating mezzanine, and a pair of suspended lanterns. By the use of form, materials, colors, and social-cultural meanings, the new lobby is a modern interpretation of the aboriginal dwelling “Stone Slab Houses” of Pingtung.

Inside the existing building, we removed the monumental concrete stairs and the compact shelves once occupied the center of the building, creating a pair of double-height spaces used for seniors and teenagers. The introduction of natural materials, modern furniture and glass partitions helps to bring fluidity, transparency, and a sense of intimacy to the library. The teenagers’ library, centrally located in the building, plays a crucial role in the new programmatic organization. It is a multifunctional space linking multiple floors with interesting stairs, seating and a bridge.

PROFILE

Project Name: Pingtung Public LibraryLocation: No. 69, Dalian Road, Pingtung City

Principle Use: Library

Architects: MAYU architects

Design Team: (SD) Ya-yun Wang, Ya-zhi Kuo, Ya-jue Li, Chia-ru Lin, Fei-min Chang, Chia-hua Lee; (DD) Ya-yun Wang, Che-sheng Wang, Ya-jue Li, Chia-ru Lin, Fei-min Chang, Che-kang Liu, Ting-yi Lo, Pin-min Huang, Min-ru He, Li-chi Yeh; (CA) Ya-yun Wang, Che-sheng Wang, Min-ru He, Chia-ru Lin, Kuan-Hsien Li, Jui-hsiang Hsiao, Yu-wen Huang, Pai-fu Kuo

Construction Material: Steel & Reinforced Concrete

Site Area: 59289.53 m2

Building Area: 2416.26 m2

Total Floor Area: 8596.86 m2

Number of Stories: 6 + 1 (basement)

Overall Design Time: 2017/4 ~ 2018/2

Overall Construction Time: 2018/5 ~ 2020/2

Construction Cost:  Architecture: $ 10,745,000  Landscape: $1,221,000