Twisted Brick Shell Concept Library,
design: HCCH Studio
A brick library in the shape of a spiral shell designed by {tag:pracownie}, surrounded by tall grasses is located in a rural area in Zhejiang Province, China. The building attempts to combine contemporary formal expression with local material culture.
View of the library against the Chinese landscape -the project is located in a rural area in Zhejiang province, China
red brick shell
- nature-inspired form
The library is about 10 meters in diameter and 5 meters high. Its continuous surface is formed by two semicircles interpenetrating each other and blurring the boundaries between inside and outside. The shell structure is made of red bricks, not by masonry, but by casting directly in the end position.
cross-section of the building
© Qingyan Zhu, Fangfang Tian
Sunlight enters the darkened interior through an opening in the upper part. Visitors can read texts placed inside the acrylic spheres through small openings in the walls. The texts, superimposed on the landscape, create a poetic experience that connects body, mind and nature.
Bird's-eye view - the structure is formed by two half-circles that interpenetrate each other
© Qingyan Zhu, Fangfang Tian
Structural challenge of double curved brick surfaces
Laying out the bricks on the double-curved surface posed a huge construction challenge. The bricks are positioned with perforated steel plates that act as a steel reinforcing frame, and then filled with high-strength concrete. These three materials working together form a unified structure.
building plan
© Qingyan Zhu, Fangfang Tian
Bricks of 12 different widths are arranged along the UV grid to ensure the continuity of the radial structure. The logic of the structure, and the visual expression, derive from the stacked and interlocking bricks. The pixelated brick pattern matrix and the changing thickness of the "mortar" (which is actually concrete poured in place) shatters the typical principles of brick construction.
The entrance to the building - visitors can read texts placed inside the acrylic spheres through small openings in the walls
© Qingyan Zhu, Fangfang Tian
minimalist contemplative space
- An intriguing library in a Chinese province
Twisted Brick Shell Concept Library is a bold attempt at building in rural areas integrating digital industrialization with traditional materials. The project also seeks to create an experience beyond the idyllic vision of the "countryside." The library provides a contemporary refuge for the body and mind, encouraging visitors to read and reflect on the external and internal world.
Aerial view with the landscape surrounding the library - the juxtaposition of the eastern landscape, with its distinctive mountains and rivers, together with the modern architectural concept creates an amazing effect
© Qingyan Zhu, Fangfang Tian
Compiled by Natalia Ledzianowska
Illustrations provided courtesy of HCCH Studio.
