The Horizon Library

Design Team：Protoscapes
Size： 756 m²   
Location：Hefei，China

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Feature：

Project - Nestled in the picturesque prairies of Dawei Village in Anhui Province, China, the Horizon Library by Protoscapes stands as an architectural ode to reading, storytelling, and the boundless imagination. Envisioned as a contemplative living room hovering above the landscape, this idyllic retreat beckons visitors to expand their perception of time and space amidst nature's tranquility. The library's form embodies a striking duality – a grounded, carved monolith seamlessly transitions into a hovering, transparent prism. This interplay of volumes calibrates distinct vantage points, framing the vast expanse of the surrounding fields and sky. The ground floor houses a cozy lobby café, while a carved corridor ushers guests upwards into the prismatic reading sanctuary above. Minimizing its footprint, the library's core columns cluster to liberate the perimeter, dedicating it entirely to the centerpiece reading room. Here, a panoramic veranda cantilevers 4 meters outwards, creating the illusion of levitating over the terrain. An expansive oak bookshelf winds its way around the core, ascending towards the ceiling like an ancient tree. Its illuminated branches rhythmically pair with double-glazed curtain walls, outlining intimate reading alcoves that offer distant vistas. More than a repository of books, the Horizon Library serves as a cultural nexus, poised to invigorate the region's educational tapestry while fostering a dialogue between nature's tranquility and the vibrance of communal gathering.

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Design Team - Founded in 2017 at MIT by principals Jinhui Huang and Pak Kin Chan, Protoscapes is a vanguard architecture and urban design practice based in Xiamen, China. The emerging studio is committed to re-envisioning the aesthetic, technical, social, and ecological possibilities of the built environment during China's next phase of urbanization. As a forward-thinking design think-tank, Protoscapes taps into the rapid urban transformations across China as a testing ground for pioneering placemaking narratives rooted in urban intensity, community empowerment, inclusive diversity, and biophilic design principles. Through close collaboration with civic and private clients, the firm challenges constraints to ensure their architectural interventions create more prospective and sustainable futures. Jinhui Huang, a MIT M.Arch graduate and former designer at celebrated firms like Weiss/Manfredi, and Pak Kin Chan, an urbanist with experience at DLN and Kengo Kuma & Associates, lead a talented team exploring innovative spatial typologies across all scales. From interiors and structures to urban masterplans, Protoscapes aspires to seed "protoscapes" - dynamic architectural habitats empowering how we collectively live, think and feel.