There is a square black box here. When you are tired from walking around the park, you can go in and

There is a square black box here. When you are tired from walking in the park, you can go in and read a book. For those who love reading, the library is a holy place. We have previously reported on many good cases of library design. Some give us the opportunity to understand special cultural fields, and some create a sense of ritual for reading.

The library introduced today is more life-like. It is located in the city garden, and citizens who go for a walk can go in and sit casually.

The library is located in Newmarket, a small town near Toronto, Canada. It is small, but as a library, it also provides local residents with a good place to read and relax.

Oh, by the way, it is different from the Chinese mobile library in your impression.

This small library was designed by Canadian design studio Atelier Kastelic Buffey (AKB) and funded by the community where it is located. The whole structure is made of wood, with dimensions of only 2.4 meters long, 3 meters high. When open, it looks like a book with open pages. When closed at night, it becomes a square black box.

Perhaps because this is a place where stories can be heard and exchanged, the designers named it “Story Box”. The box contains bookshelves stocked with books provided by the community and residents themselves. People can come here to borrow books, exchange books with each other, or just sit down on the indoor benches and read quietly for a while.

Library appearance

Viewed from above Viewed from above

In When it is open, two walls of the library can be "opened", so the entire space is really open, connected to the wide park, and becomes part of the public space. It is not just a private space as we thought at the beginning. A cramped little house.

Completely open

Through the window from outside You can see which books are placed

Of course, you can also take books from the library and read them outdoors.

The library is in a small park in the city

When it is closed, the appearance of the library is enough It arouses peoples curiosity. Its facade is made of black wooden strips arranged vertically. The designer deliberately made these wooden strips sparse. There is also a reason for this: the wall with the closest wooden strips is a closed wall; The side with a slight gap allows light to pass through; and the side with the largest gap is connected to the bookshelf, so that passers-by can see what books are placed inside. In short, this is to increase the number of people in the library. Brings visual interest.

At night, LED lights inside the library light up (these lights are powered by solar panels on the roof). The story box glows slightly in the dark, like a beautiful installation art.

At night, Weiwei sent Light

This small library is very popular with residents of the local community. A person in charge of the project revealed that the first batch of books placed here had been borrowed long ago, and people are still donating their own books.

The place we are in and the convenience of obtaining books will all affect our interest and enthusiasm for reading. Therefore, when talking about how few people read today, we should also consider how to create better reading conditions and space for readers. (Image source: AKB)