Designed by the architect of Chi Mei Museum, Tainan’s Yancheng Library resembles stacked books

▲ Costing NT$130 million, Tainan’s Yancheng Library was designed by Cai Yizhang, the architect of Chi Mei Museum. (Photo / Provided by Tainan Municipal Library, the same below)

By Reporter Lee Tzu-yi / Comprehensive Report

Since construction began in 2013,Tainan’s Second Southern District Library “Yancheng Library”is expected to officially open on December 19. Designed by Cai Yizhang, the architect of Chi Mei Museum, the roughly 3,600-square-meter site has been planned as a four-story building. Its stacked-book-inspired exterior and a “book ladder” that spans three floors are among the library’s unique highlights.

▲ Art installation outside the library.

The Yancheng Library, which took nearly two years and NT$130 million to build since groundbreaking in December 2012, becomes the second Yancheng Library in Taiwan after the one in Kaohsiung. Although Tainan’s Southern District already had an existing Xishu branch, Yancheng Library is closer to the city center and in a more densely populated area. Local residents have welcomed the new library and look forward to its early opening.

▲ The large bookshelf, book ladder, and regular stairs that span three floors.

Located at the intersection of Yancheng Road and Xindu Road in Tainan’s Southern District, the library’s exterior is uniquely designed to resemble stacked books. It has four floors in total: three above ground and one underground.In the interior, a central bookshelf and a large wooden book ladder span from the first to the third floor. The book ladder features a specially designed glass roof, allowing sunlight to stream in during the day—perfect for sitting on the ladder with a book, basking in both literature and sunshine.The bookshelf is adjacent to the ladder, and next to the ladder are regular stairs. This cleverly designed layout aims to create a welcoming atmosphere. The surrounding greenery includes shrubs and lawns, adding vitality to the otherwise gray building exterior.

Huang Yuzhen, director of Tainan Municipal Library, said the library was originally planned to open during Christmas as a holiday gift, but due to strong public anticipation, the date was moved up to December 19. The design-forward Yancheng Library is intended to be a new landmark, with a floor area almost comparable to that of the Tainan Municipal Library’s main branch—accommodating about 100,000 books. Director Huang also expressed hope that the space would allow visitors to spend the whole day there—not just for reading, but also for eating and drinking. To that end, about a quarter of one floor has been designated for a retail area, with external F&B vendors invited to provide beverage and meal services.

The library has also thoughtfully grouped the children’s reading room, senior newspaper corner, and reading tables together, conveniently serving the needs of both grandparents and grandchildren. There is also a dedicated teen reading area. Director Huang revealed that the current main library is too small, and plans are underway to build a new main branch in Yongkang District with a floor area of 35,000 square meters. The old main site will be converted into a local branch to continue serving residents. The new main branch is expected to open by the end of 2018 at the earliest.

%Best travel guide spots in the library.＜/strong＞