GWANGJU LIBRARY
PROJECT
GWANGJU LIBRARY
YEAR
2020
TYPOLOGY
CONCPET
AREA
11,000 M²
STATUS
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
LOCATION
GWANGU
SOUTH KOREA
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GWANGJU CITY MAIN LIBRARY TRANSFORMS A FORMER WASTE-INCINERATION SITE INTO A NEW CIVIC HUB FOR KNOWLEDGE, CULTURE, AND URBAN REGENERATION. MORE THAN A REPOSITORY FOR BOOKS, IT IS AN OPEN PLACE WHERE INFORMATION IS ACCESSED, SHARED, AND CREATED.
CONCEPT
The project transforms a former waste-incineration site—a remnant of Gwangju’s period of rapid development—into a place of learning, culture, and collective renewal. The site’s history becomes an opportunity to reinterpret the city’s changing values through a contemporary public institution.
Modular cubic volumes reference the traditional Korean kan system of measurement, emphasizing proportion, rhythm, and balance. Within a spacious and transparent interior, these programmatic cubes accommodate books and shared activities. Each cube is conceived as a root-like source of energy from which trees and vegetation emerge, expressing a future in which humanity and the earth coexist harmoniously.
PROGRAM
The library is organized as an open civic interior containing distinct programmatic cubes for collections, learning, gathering, and shared activities. Their modular arrangement creates clearly defined spaces while preserving flexibility, visual continuity, and intuitive movement throughout the building.
Inspired by biophilic design, the proposal integrates nature throughout the interior and establishes a continuous relationship with the surrounding landscape. Vegetation, transparency, and natural light create the sensation of inhabiting a forest, supporting concentration, discovery, social exchange, and quiet reflection.
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