The Renovation of Ankang Library
Project Background: Ankang is a prefecture-level city located in the south of Shanxi Province in the People’s Republic of China, bordering Hubei province to the east, Chongqing municipality to the south, and Sichuan province to the southwest. Located in the old Ankang city, the original library was opened in 1984 and over the duration of time, the library building and its facilities have started to fall behind the fast-developing information age in terms of hardware and software, prompting a need for a comprehensive regeneration program.
The renovated Ankang library consists of three buildings: The North Building facing the street, the Main Building of the library positioned in the centre, and the self-use office building at the southern end of the courtyard. The renovation focuses on the North Building and Main Building. The design principle aim was to rejuvenate the old library into a seemingly new, open, and welcoming community space, highlighting and creating a strong contrast with its existing context.
North building. Image © Lian He
Renovation of North Building: Located at the crossroads of the urban street network, the North building utilized mixed structural systems and outdated design techniques in its construction. Before the renovation, the first and the second floors of the building were rented out to small restaurants and shops, while the third floor of the building was built using color steel plates and was unappro...