The Past and Present Lives of Silos
On Tangshan Mountain, located on the outskirts of Nanjing, a lush green haze drifts over the misty distant peaks. Here stand ten towering, cylindrical gray cement silos. Their stark geometric form rises abruptly, resembling giant exclamation marks that tell the story of this place’s past: nearly a century of mining has carved into the mountain, dissecting the green landscape to reveal vast pits and mines. The roar of cement processing machines, clouds of dust, and flowing sewage once dominated the scene. Now, calm has returned. These ten silos, like watchful eyes, gaze silently into the sky, quietly awaiting a new chapter in their existence—a moment when fresh life and spirit will flow through them once again.
△ Silo facade
During the development of the Garden Expo Park, restoration efforts extended to all damaged structures, including the old buildings of the cement plant. These ten cement cylinders were reborn with a new identity as the Pioneer Bookstore, positioned in the southwest corner of the park’s main exhibition hall. From that moment, they began a fresh life. Embracing the bookstore’s motto, “Stranger on the Earth,” they embody the vastness of life and the universe.
“Warehouse” – From Grain Storage to Book Repository
The word “warehouse” highlights function. Originally, each “warehouse” was a silo divided into two levels: a high upper layer and a lower one. These levels connected via pipelines, where crushed stones from above dropped through a funnel into mining carts below. Today, the warehouse serves a new purpose as a “book warehouse” with three levels. Visitors can ascend stairs to the roof and stroll through ten circular gardens. When the original hopper between the first and second floors was removed, it left an 800mm square opening. This transformation breathed new life into the silos, now adorned with ten thriving osmanthus trees swaying gently atop the cold cement rooftops.
△ Axonometric diagram
△ Silo exterior
Each of the ten warehouses carries its own theme and story, narrating ten unique dreams: the dream of an idealist embracing all love and beauty as the world’s most beautiful library; the artist’s dream of creating future forms in the Art Warehouse; a child’s imaginative and colorful dream in the Picture Book Warehouse; a traveler’s yearning to wander through space and time in the Travel Life Warehouse; the archaeologist’s quest to uncover ancient civilizations in the Ancient Book Warehouse; the literary dreamer dedicated to the spiritual realm in the Literary Warehouse; the philosopher’s struggle between nature and reality in the Humanities and Social Sciences Warehouse; the poet’s enchanted dream embodied in the Poetry Tower; a simple, peaceful, and joyful dream for ordinary people in the Cash Register; and finally, the divine dream representing light and future in the Ladder of Poets.
△ Humanities and Social Sciences Warehouse
“Tube” – A Circular Form Rising Upwards
The term “tube” reflects the silos’ shape. These ten silos are tunnels that point straight to the sky, leading toward dreams. Some rise solidly and parallel, like the Literary Warehouse; others ascend in steps, like the Travel-themed Warehouse; and some spiral upward rapidly and romantically, extending infinitely like the Poetry Tower. Stepping inside these circular tubes and looking up connects visitors to spirit, books, nature, and sky. The infinite perspective created by the circular form perfectly complements the idea that books open the door to boundless spiritual realms. The physical space of the bookstore thus transforms into a spiritual space.
Looking up at the silo
The Ladder of Poets
△ Poetry Tower
“White” – A Fresh New Life
“White” not only represents color but also symbolizes the rebirth of the silos as bright, clean spaces. White is the natural color of paper, and the design aims to create a dreamy “new” within the originally rough, cold cement cylinders. Special wall coatings mimic the texture of paper, establishing a connection to books. All bookshelf partitions are made from 3mm thick steel plates, designed to be as delicate as paper, consistent with the “light intervention” principle applied throughout the park. The “white” of Pioneer reflects the color of new life and the infinite spiritual world.
△ Travel Life Warehouse
△ Poetry Tower
“Mirror” – The Extension of Vitality
Between the ten silos, narrow dark spaces form entrances to the white dream world inside. Mirror materials were used here to expand the perceived space infinitely and amplify the limited area. These mirrors create intriguing illusions that immerse visitors on their journey. This immersion reflects the unity of body and mind, where in every dream, books, poetry, and self come together.
△ Literary Warehouse
△ Humanities and Social Sciences Warehouse
△ Travel Life Warehouse
Nanjing Garden Expo Park embodies a vision to heal the scars left on this mountainous region. For longtime companions like the silos, it marks the beginning of a new life cycle. As Academician Cui Kai, the park’s chief designer, stated, “Restoration is not about returning to the past but about creating the future.” He hopes these ten silos, now transformed into the Pioneer Bookstore, will resonate deeply with visitors, offering emotional connection and perhaps spiritual comfort and healing.
Technical Drawings
△ General layout plan
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
△ Elevation drawing
△ Section 1
△ Section 2
△ Section 3
△ Node Diagram 1
△ Node Diagram 2
Project Information
Project Type: Renovation, Retail Architecture, Interior Design
Location: Nanjing, China
Architectural Design: China Academy of Architectural Design and Research
Area: 568 m²
Project Year: 2021
Photographer: GEN BEN TANG
Design Guidance: Cui Kai
Architectural Team: Guan Fei, Dong Yuanzheng, Wang Deling
Interior Design: Han Wenwen, Zhang Aiai
Mechanical and Electrical Design: He Xueyu, Li Jingsha, He Lin
Lighting Design: Wang Dongning, Sun Xiaolei, Yu Jincang
Curtain Wall Design: Caobai Station
Structural Design: Sun Ya
Client: Pioneer Bookstore
Landscape Design: Boundless Landscape Studio, China Urban Construction Research Institute
Construction: China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Corp., Ltd.
Collaboration: Nanjing Garden Expo Park
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