Mengzi NSAU Bookstore of Librairie Avant-Garde
Located in Yunnan province, China, Mengzi is a border town with a relatively glory history. The Avant-garde Bookstore sits by the Southlake of Mengzi, a beloved central public park today, while dating back to WWII, it was the campus of the National Southwest Associated University (NSAU), a prestigious academic group that nourished numerous scholars during the war.
The design of the building is characterized by a rolling serpentine loop arising from the lake shore, climbing up the existing hall and bell tower, and coming down back to the lake with a huge horizontal opening. The journey entwines the existing urban context and the landscape with a simple but spatially diverse sequence. Entering the courtyard, visitors are drawn to the roof terrace by a welcoming ramp, where a spectacular panoramic view of the city is revealed with the rise and falls of the geometry. The use of the rough concrete and the natural wood are woven from outdoor to indoor, blurring exterior and interior with sensible sensations.
