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Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Explore the region
About Binhai Library
Designed by MVRDV with local partners and opened in 2017, the building turns the idea of shelves into a landscape-like interior. The dramatic atrium should not be confused with the entire working library: reading rooms and other functions occupy adjoining levels, and some of the high shelf-like surfaces are decorative rather than accessible book storage. Visit for the relationship between the sphere, terraces and eye-shaped exterior opening, while respecting readers in the functional library areas.
The library was designed by the Rotterdam-based firm MVRDV together with the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute (TUPDI), a group of local architects. A tight schedule set by the local government took the project from preliminary drawings to completion within three years, and the library opened in October 2017 as one of five central attractions of the Binhai Cultural Center.
The five-level building has a total floor area of 33,700 square meters. Its floor-to-ceiling, terraced bookshelves can hold 1.2 million books, and the central sphere serves as an auditorium seating 110 people. The first and second floors hold mainly lounge areas and reading rooms, while the floors above contain computer rooms, meeting rooms and offices, and there are two rooftop patios. Because the project was completed quickly and departed from what had been officially approved, the rooms giving access to the upper tiers of shelving were never built, leaving much of the shelving inaccessible.
What to look for
- The luminous central sphere and the terraced white atrium around it.
- The eye-shaped opening that frames the sphere from outside.
- The distinction between the architectural atrium and the adjoining reading spaces.
The surrounding area
Separate coastal municipal area with maritime and modern cultural attractions.
Location & getting there
Getting to Binhai Library
The library is at 347 Xusheng Road in Binhai Cultural Center.
- Shiminguangchang station on Metro Line 9 is an area approach; allow a separate last leg to the Cultural Center.
Combine your visit
Suggested order within this visit:
-
Exterior eye-shaped opening
See how the atrium's sphere reads from outside.
-
Central atrium
Study the terraces and auditorium at the heart of the design.
-
Permitted reading areas
Understand the building as a working library beyond the photographed atrium.
This sequence is an editorial suggestion based on the features described in the sources. Access to individual buildings or areas should be checked locally; no travel time or shared admission is implied.
Find Binhai Library
滨海图书馆 · 滨海新区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
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View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1368783281.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 5238066.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "Tianjin Binhai Library", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1368783281.