From Concrete to Contemplation: The Architectural Transformation of Xixi Library Above the Wetlands

Xixi Goldmye Library: An Architectural Revival in the Heart of Nature

From an Abandoned Structure to a Thriving Cultural Hub

In the heart of Hangzhou’s wetlands, an architectural project emerges as a testament to how smart renewal can redefine spaces. Once abandoned for over two decades, the building has transformed from a forgotten concrete shell into a vibrant library, thanks to a radical intervention by Atelier Wen’Arch.

The team stripped away all superfluous elements, retaining only the original concrete columns as a structural foundation. This drastic move was more than a visual gesture, it was essential to reframe the building’s relationship with its surroundings.

Opening Up to the Environment After Years of Isolation

The original U-shaped configuration, once closed off, now opens onto the Xixi National Wetland Park. This transformation wasn’t just a visual choice, but a deliberate approach to integrate the building with its natural context, turning it into an extension of the landscape rather than an isolated volume.

Covering an area of approximately 880 square meters, the project was completed in April 2025, standing as a living example of architecture’s ability to regenerate itself, transforming neglected spaces into centers of knowledge and reflection.

Wooden Beams as Both Functional and Aesthetic Elements

At the core of this transformation lies the so-called “book beams”, a central feature combining structural and aesthetic values.
Crafted from laminated pinewood, these beams intersect with the concrete columns and extend outward with careful precision, establishing a rhythmic visual flow that ties the space together.

Functionally, the beams integrate with lighting, ventilation, and HVAC systems, turning the infrastructure into a design language that expresses the building’s identity, rather than remaining hidden technical components.

Rehumanizing the Space

This intervention didn’t just repurpose the structure, it restored its humanity.
The building’s original grid was not erased but intelligently reinterpreted. It preserves structural discipline while embracing the warmth of natural materials and visual depth, offering glimpses of the surrounding wetlands through thoughtfully placed openings.

The result is a space where visitors feel suspended between earth and sky, surrounded by nature, immersed in calm, and invited to read or reflect in peace.

Architecture Rooted in Nature: Water and Sky as Extensions of Interior Space

The Book Tower: A Vertical Connection to the Sky

In the library’s southwest corner stands the so-called “Book Tower”, a vertical architectural element that deepens the building’s connection to the sky.
This tower consists of staggered mezzanines spiraling around a concealed grid of I-shaped steel beams, allowing the levels to unfold gracefully without compromising spatial transparency.

The design not only creates multi-level reading zones but also preserves visual continuity between floors, offering a sense of openness and cohesion within an otherwise compact structure.

The Water Wing: A Horizontal Extension Toward Nature

On the opposite side, the waterfront wing engages in direct dialogue with the surrounding landscape.
Through sloped surfaces and recessed seating, comfortable lounging areas emerge, opening onto the wetlands, where visitors can unwind, immersed in the natural sounds that surround them.

These spaces serve as a living example of how architecture can avoid isolation, instead embracing and reinterpreting its environmental context through thoughtful design.

Natural Light: The Invisible Dimension of Spatial Expansion

Blurring Boundaries Between Inside and Out

Light plays a pivotal role in shaping the visitor’s experience within the library.
Full-height glass facades dissolve the borders between indoors and outdoors, turning the space into a visual and emotional extension of the surrounding nature.

Shading Inspired by Tradition, Reimagined Through a Contemporary Lens

To control light intensity without disrupting visual connectivity, the designers implemented suspended canopies, a reinterpretation of traditional Chinese shading elements.
These canopies do more than soften the sun’s glare; they introduce a delicate visual layer that filters the light and enriches the depth of the interior space.

Dynamic Lighting Throughout the Day

Daylight inside the library evolves fluidly with time, imbuing the space with a shifting spectrum of moods.
From the warmth of morning rays accompanying the first cup of coffee, to the gentle glow of evening light ideal for a quiet reading session, the library transcends its role as a building, becoming a renewed experience with each passing day.

The Floating Library: An Experience of Soaring Between Sky and Water

A Relationship with the Wetlands… Without Touching Them

Elevated above the wetland level, the library gives visitors a sensation of flight, as if the space itself floats above the surface of the water.
This physical detachment from the ground doesn’t sever the building’s bond with nature; rather, it enhances it, creating a sense of lightness and separation from the noise of the world.

At the heart of the design lies the water courtyard, once a negative, disconnected space, now transformed into a mirror that reflects the sky.
Clouds and water meet across the surface, doubling the impression that the library doesn’t merely belong to its setting, but reinterprets it entirely.

From Exclusion to Embrace

No longer do the three wings forming the original U-shape turn inward or away from the water.
Instead, they now embrace the water courtyard, forming an open center that visually and sensorially interacts with the surrounding environment.

Visitors move through the space as if crossing a suspended void, where bird calls and the scent of wetlands drift in through open windows.
This immersive experience redefines reading, not as passive consumption, but as a contemplative act.

Books as Human Companions, Not Just Functional Objects

A Design That Invites You to Stay

The design philosophy here goes far beyond organizing books or facilitating circulation.
Atelier Wen’Arch sought to create places that encourage slowness, inviting visitors to stay rather than pass through.

Books are not presented as commodities, they are treated as companions to the soul and mind, accompanying the reader through moments of reflection and connection with both self and nature.

Restoration Through Imagination, Not Demolition

Architect Shen Wen and his team succeeded in presenting a rare model of a public library that truly belongs to its site.
It doesn’t disturb the sensitive wetland environment, it engages with it respectfully and responsibly.

More importantly, the project proves that restoration can be more imaginative than new construction, when guided by vision instead of destruction, and by architectural sensibility rather than spectacle.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

There is no doubt that the Xixi Goldmye Library stands as an inspiring example of how an abandoned structure can be revived and transformed into a sensory and cultural experience in harmony with nature. The interplay of light, water, and sky, along with the use of natural materials like wood and pine, reflects a refined architectural sensibility and a deep understanding of environmental context.

However, from a critical standpoint, one might question the scalability or replicability of such a poetic project in other urban contexts. The design leans heavily into individualism and experimentation, raising concerns about its long-term operational efficiency, particularly in humid climates where exposed wood and suspended structures may present maintenance challenges.

Moreover, while the project offers an immersive, contemplative experience, it may be viewed from a purely functional lens as a space that does not necessarily cater to intensive reading needs or large cultural gatherings. It leans more toward solitude and introspection rather than being a flexible, multi-purpose public space.

Nevertheless, the project remains a valuable architectural lesson in contextual respect, and a testament to the idea that restoration is not a temporary fix, but rather a creative and holistic alternative when approached with architectural insight and a sincere reverence for nature.

Prepared by the ArchUp Editorial Team

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