△ Night view of the library entrance
Background and Challenges: Balancing Old Spaces with New Needs
This project is situated in Sanhe City, Langfang, Hebei Province, within the Yanjiao Campus of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Covering 205 acres, the campus includes an old teaching building housing the library, which was renovated from an abandoned structure. However, the original building’s layout and spatial constraints have limited the library’s functionality.
△ Entrance details
Originally established in 1953 as the Central Academy of Fine Arts Affiliated Middle School Library, it became the campus library in 2006 following the establishment of the affiliated middle school at Yanjiao. With the addition of the Urban Design College and a rise in student and faculty numbers, longstanding issues have surfaced:
- On the first floor, the library, art gallery exhibition hall, and Urban Design College laboratory are interwoven, causing disjointed use and overlapping circulation paths that interfere with one another.
- The library’s main entrance is hidden, accessible only via a long, dimly lit corridor, with a narrow doorway that hampers accessibility.
- Library spaces are scattered between the first and second floors without direct connections; readers must pass through outdoor or external corridors to reach the second-floor reading room.
- The reading room in the southeast corner of the second floor suffers from uneven floor levels, resulting in wasted space due to inadequate interior organization.
- Prolonged neglect has led to damaged floors and ceilings, outdated furniture, and insufficient lighting, all urgently requiring repair and replacement.
After years of service, the library has become outdated and unable to meet the evolving needs of modern students and faculty. A thorough, comprehensive renovation is essential.
The orange ground highlights the library entrance location
△ Space design and furniture offer readers varied reading experiences
Design Task and Concept: “Collection, Exhibition, Reading, Enjoyment” — Four Elements in One
In autumn 2018, under direct leadership from the school, renovation and design of the Yanjiao Library commenced. The goal was to comprehensively upgrade the library within a limited budget to fulfill modern requirements. As an alumnus and teacher at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the architect embraced the responsibility and honor of designing the new library.
After thorough on-site research, the architect proposed a combined renovation of the library and adjacent art gallery exhibition halls, treating them as a unified base for knowledge and art production. The guiding concept was “Collection, Exhibition, Reading, Enjoyment.”
- Collection: Emphasizes the library’s book collection as the foundation of knowledge and all extended functions.
- Exhibition: Refers to displaying books and art; the new space must accommodate diverse forms of exhibitions with openness and flexibility.
- Reading: Focuses on creating comfortable, diverse reading environments for students and faculty.
- Enjoyment: Envisions the library as an inviting, informal space where users can relax—reading even while reclining—and where public interaction is encouraged through events, classes, or seminars linked with exhibitions.
△ Sofas and leisure tables provide a relaxed reading atmosphere
Layout and Flow: Reorganizing Boundaries and Creating a New Library Entrance
The renovation began by revising the layout and simplifying circulation. The Urban Design Institute laboratory, previously located between the library and art gallery, was relocated. Part of the freed space was returned to the art gallery for exhibition use, while another part was allocated to the library to create a new circulation reading room. This reading room connects directly to the existing circulation library, resolving previous disjointed access.
△ New library entrance
Office spaces of the library and art gallery were merged to create a co-working environment. The second floor’s functional layout largely remained intact, with reading rooms on the south side preserved. The north-side computer room was removed, replaced by a materials reading room jointly managed by the Urban Design School and library.
△ First floor plan
△ Second floor plan
The original library entrance, hidden deep within a hallway, was difficult to locate and did not reflect the library’s public role. The architect introduced a new entrance facing southwest on the teaching building’s corner, adjacent to the art gallery’s secondary west entrance. Previously a semi-outdoor corridor cluttered with debris, it was cleared but remains partially open. New materials and colors were added to create a distinctive entrance.
The orange floor extends outward, forming a welcoming pathway
The new entrance features a simple, bright design: white perforated panels at the entrance and guide wall create geometric forms with the old building. Inside walls utilize orange aluminum panels, matched by an epoxy resin floor of the same vibrant hue. The orange floor extends outward like a “red carpet,” while the misty white panels and lively orange connect visually with the original gray and white façade, establishing a strong, recognizable symbol.
The entrance wall interlocks with the original building’s overpass
Existing trees outdoors were carefully preserved, integrating naturally with the new architectural elements. On sunny days, tree shadows dance over the orange floor and perforated walls, creating lively patterns that echo the tree shapes on the panels. This interplay of light and shadow brings strong visual symbolism and clear identity to the library entrance.
Tree shadows cast over the ground and walls
Lobby: Creating a New Central Hub Connecting Library, Gallery, and Classrooms
The new entrance leads directly into a lobby that connects the first-floor library, art gallery exhibition hall, second-floor reading rooms, and other teaching spaces. This lobby is poised to become the primary public space in the area.
△ View of the lobby from the second-floor window
△ View of the lobby from the entrance corridor
The lobby was created from a previously unused space that housed an evacuation staircase supported by eight structural columns, which disrupted spatial flow and visibility. Preserving the stairwell and columns, the architect divided the space into a front and back hall, cleverly masking the staircase and columns between partition walls.
The front hall’s wall includes second-floor windows, allowing natural light to penetrate
Post-renovation, the front hall forms a trapezoidal high-ceiling space, bordered by the circulation library to the north and the art gallery to the south. The eastern wall, separating front and back halls, serves as the main facade, while the new library entrance connects from the west. The front hall is intended for exhibition openings and public events.
△ Front hall connected to the new entrance
The architect maintained clean, pure walls to preserve spatial integrity and maximize flexibility. The color palette is predominantly white and gray, with the bold orange corridor visible only at the west entrance. Windows on the east, south, and west walls of the second floor provide natural light and maintain visual connections between spaces.
The front hall offers versatile possibilities for future uses
The roof is the most dynamic element, shaped by a Voronoi pattern algorithm into a high grid made from white acrylic. This design allows sunlight to filter through while concealing structural and construction elements. The resulting multifaceted light and shadow effects change throughout the day, enriching the atmosphere and keeping the space feeling fresh and engaging.
The high grid effectively conceals the roof’s structural elements
The hall’s color scheme features expanses of gray, white, and accents of orange
Striking light and shadow play within the front hall
The back hall, slightly smaller and also trapezoidal, serves as a rest and auxiliary area. It features several leisure sofas and a storage space tucked beneath the original staircase. The walls and ceiling treatments mirror those in the front hall, with the stairwell façade covered by perforated panels forming a tree-like pattern, symbolizing the timeless value of education.
View of the back hall from the second floor window
The back hall offers a comfortable space for rest
△ Perforated panels form a tree-like design
Reading Room: Leveraging Original Spatial Features for a Rich and Relaxed Atmosphere
The reading room is where visitors spend the most time. The architect aimed to create an open, relaxed environment that meets functional needs.
△ Views of the courtyard landscape from the circulation reading room
The renovation began with the ceiling and floor. A dark gray metal mesh ceiling conceals the original building’s cluttered structure, along with new air conditioning, lighting, and piping. This dark gray complements the metal elements of the original bookshelves. White LED lights are embedded in a matrix flush with the mesh to meet illumination needs. Terrazzo flooring was chosen for its simplicity, elegance, and durability for heavy use. Beyond these upgrades, the architect employed unique treatments in different areas, with the circulation reading room and outer courtyard on the first floor, and the staircase reading room on the second floor, standing out.
The reading room’s ceiling features a dark gray metal mesh
The new circulation reading room is a rectangular space with an L-shaped inner courtyard along its west and south sides, densely planted with bamboo. Sheltered from wind, the bamboo thrives year-round, creating an artistic atmosphere within the building. To maximize transparency, full floor-to-ceiling glass with glass ribs lines the south façade, allowing ample sunlight and views of the courtyard landscape.
The space’s textures combine paint, perforated panels, and acrylic grilles
△ Inner courtyard
Partial view of the inner courtyard
The courtyard’s south wall belongs to the art gallery exhibition hall and originally featured uneven windows that disrupted artwork display and the bamboo landscape’s backdrop. The architect sealed these windows and painted the wall white to create a clean background, enhancing the visual harmony between the bamboo, wall, and shadows. From inside the circulation reading room, this combination creates a serene, literary scene.
△ Transparent facade integrates the bamboo forest into the interior
△ Circulation Reading Room
Before renovation, the second-floor staircase reading room faced a challenge: a height difference exceeding one meter from north to south, combined with a curved ceiling sloping upward to the south. This was due to the differing functions of the floors below (exhibition hall) and above (lecture hall), with structural constraints preventing the raised southern section from bearing heavy loads, leading to long-term underuse.
△ Staircase reading room in use
The architect recognized the height difference as an opportunity to create diverse reading experiences. After consultation with users, a layered, undulating staircase was designed. Composed of various “micro-terraces” of differing heights and sizes, the wooden stair surfaces are fitted with soft cushions and backrests, offering flexible seating options. This area can serve as a reading room, classroom, or lecture space. In addition to the staircase seating, traditional reading tables, chairs, and sofas are provided to accommodate different preferences.
△ Ladder Reading Room
△ Staircase details
Micro terraces of varying sizes and heights
Conclusion: Spatial Design Inspires Knowledge and Art Creation
This renovation avoids luxury, focusing instead on addressing the building’s original problems and essential functional needs. At the same time, the architects hope to breathe new life into the Yanjiao Campus library, encouraging the production of knowledge and art through thoughtful spatial design.
Since reopening in May 2020, the library has hosted academic salons, exhibitions, and seminars, marking the emergence of its role as a hub for knowledge and artistic creation.
Project Information
Name: Central Academy of Fine Arts Yanjiao Campus Library Renovation
Location: Sanhe City, Langfang City, Hebei Province
Owner: Yanjiao Campus of Central Academy of Fine Arts
Lead Architect: He Wei
Construction Drawing Design: China Academy of Building Research Co., Ltd
General Manager of Deepening Design: Sun Yan
Architecture Major: Li Li
Decoration Major: Ma Guohui
Structural Major: Guo Shen
HVAC Major: Chen Yimei
Electrical Major: Ningke
Construction Unit: Jiangsu Jinxiang Construction Engineering Co., Ltd
Total Construction Area: 2,900 square meters
Design Period: 2018–2019
Construction Start: April 2021
Photography: Jin Weiqi
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