WORMHOLE LIBRARY, MAD ARCHITECTS
MAD’S WONDROUS ‘WORMHOLE’ Led by Ma Yansong, MAD Architects has released the design of the Wormhole Library, which sits on the coast in Haikou, Hainan Province in China. The sensuously curved pavilion appears to be a “wormhole that transcends time and space”. MAD ARCHITECTS
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he Wormhole Library serves as a multi-functional building that allows visitors to read, enjoy views of the sea, and attend open-air performances, temporarily removing themselves from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The building is now under construction and will be completed in 2021. Located in southeast China, Haikou is the capital of Hainan province. It once served as an important port along the Maritime Silk Road, and today has become a key area of the Hainan freetrade island initiative. In 2019, the local Government launched the Haikou Bay rejuvenation plan in an effort to enhance the use of public space along the Haikou coastline. A series of pavilions by both domestic and international architects is under planning, and the Wormhole Library will be the first one to be completed. Facing the South China Sea, the Wormhole Library is located in Century Park along the Haikou Bay coastline. The intimately scaled structure is cast of white concrete as a unit. The curved concrete walls not only serve as organic architectural structure but also connect the ceiling, the ground and the walls together. Holes of varying sizes allow the architecture to breathe and meanwhile let natural light flood the interior. The grey spaces of the exterior corridors provide shady spots for passers-by to stop and rest.
FC&A – SEPTEMBER – 2020
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