Christchurch Central Library has been designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen as a "symbol of hope, unity, and rebirth" for the city in New Zealand, which was ravaged by an earthquake in 2011. 
Partially covered by a golden facade screen the new library is called T?ranga, which means "site or "foundation" in Maori.
The earthquake-resistant library, designed by Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects in collaboration with New Zealand-based Architectus, is one of nine new public buildings planned for the city.

Lewis Bradford Consulting Engineers developed a structure that could withstand an earthquake of the magnitude equal to the one that caused so much destruction in 2011.
An integrated, self-centring mechanism will allow the building to sway then return to its normal position during an earthquake.
Large concrete walls can rock and shift, forming a seismic force-resisting system that isolates the building from the shaking ground. High tensile, pre-tensioned steel cables clamp the walls to the foundations and can stretch back to return the building to its site once the earthquake stops.
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects and Architectus also worked with the Matapopore Charitable Trust, who are representing the interests of the Ng?i T??huriri people during the rebuilding process.

"T?ranga is the kind of multi-faceted project that layers architectural interest with significant cultural relevance," said Morten Schmidt, founding partner at...