Rejoice kids and parents, for you will soon have another sanctuary of knowledge to visit in the foreseeable future. According to Shine, construction on a new branch of Shanghai's Children Library will commence next Tuesday, December 18.
Occupying an area of 16,000 square meters, the library lies in Putuo District of Shanghai. Adjacent to Suzhou Creek and Changfeng Park, it is situated within a sizeable urban park surrounded by greenery and ponds.
Image via The Paper
The design of the library allegedly draws inspiration from French impressionist Claude Monet's masterpiece, 'Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge'. "The whole complex is like a rainbow bridge, combining nature and culture as well as connecting kids' childhood and future," commented Lu Qiuqin, Head Librarian of Shanghai Children's Library.
Monet's 'Water Lilies and the Japanese Bridge'. Image via Wikipedia
Image via The Paper
The exterior walls of the library employ glass material, through which visitors can take in the scenery of the city garden. Inside the library, round bookshelves of different sizes are allotted across the reading rooms, forming a forest of books. The library has four floors and readers can access different floors through spiral staircases. In addition to exquisite furnishings, the building's design places comfort and safety as top priorities. "From bookshelves to stairs, all the facilities are kid-friendly with handrails installed to secure their safety," says Lu. "After all, this place is built for the next generation."
The new branch of the library is designed for kids between four and sixteen. Each floor of the edifice has different catalogue of books and serves distinctive needs, where children can peruse through topics of interest or expand their knowledge base. In the future, the library will hold themed activities as well, including exhibitions and reading festivals.
Image via The Paper
Image via The Paper
With an estimated collection of 800,000 titles, the new branch of Shanghai Children's Library is slated to open in 2020, making it the second major children's library in the city.
[Cover image via The Paper]
