MAD Architects has just released its design for the Wormhole Library, a curved structure that serves as a multi-functional building, allowing visitors to read, enjoy the sea views and attend open-air performances. Located on the coast in Haikou, Hainan Province in China, the “wormhole” pavilion is now under construction and is expected to be completed in 2021.
Led by Ma Yansong, MAD Architects has designed a dreamscape by the South China Sea. Transcending time and space, the multi-functional building takes on a “wormhole” shape and is cast in white concrete, using both a CNC and 3D printed model and ensuring accuracy and seamlessness. In fact, the curved concrete structural walls 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.
Composed of two parts, the 690-square-meter interior reading space can store approximately 10,000 books, a café, and a terrace; and the 300-square-meter public rest area is equipped with a bicycle parking system, public bathrooms, and shower areas.
Located in a key area of the Hainan free-trade island initiative, the project is part of a governmental-launched initiative to rejuvenate the Haikou Bay. Enhancing the usage of public space along the coastline, the Wormhole Library will be the first completed pavilion from the master plan.
MEP systems were designed “to be hidden within the concrete cavity to minimize its appearance and create visual consistency”, while the roof, on the sunny side, is cantilevered to achieve comfortable temperatures, realizing a sustainable and energy-saving building responding to the local weather. Finally, “curved sliding doors and retractable glass curtain walls not only provide views of the sea but also enhance overall airflow and ventilation”.
- Wormhole Library
- Haikou, Hainan Province, China
- 2019-2021
- Site Area: 4,397 sqm
- Building Area: 1,380 sqm
- Principle Partners in Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
- Associate in Charge: Fu Changrui
- Design Team: Qiang Siyang, Sun Feifei, Dayie Wu, Shang Li, Alan Rodríguez Carrillo, Xie Qilin
- Client: Haikou Tourism & Culture Investment Holding Group
- Executive Architect: East China Architecture Design and Research Institute
- Façade Consultant: RFR Shanghai
- Construction Contractor: Yihuida Shimizu Concrete
- Renderings: SAN
