Kaohsiung Medical University Library
The site is located at the back of the existing library, and in a small courtyard surrounded by three buildings. The courtyard is now used for passing through and parking while there are a few trees that offer shading and sense of relief within this relatively congested part of the campus. The design intention is to maintain the sense of relief while also recording the memory of the space shaded by trees. Except for service spaces, main spaces in all four floors are open, free flowing spaces. Exterior walls are composed of glass and metal panel curtain walls to provide maximum visual transparency. Metal panels are painted like copper to be coherent with tiles on the existing library. Glass panels are fritted with patterns of apricot leaves as abstraction of trees while also provides shading effects. Main structure is composed of four massive columns on ground floor, each column splits into two on the next floor above, and add up to 32 columns on the fourth floor in total. They form a super tree-like structure while providing transparency at the periphery and corners with cantilevered slabs.
Client
Kaohsiung Medical University
Location
Kaohsiung City
Floor Height
4 stories above ground
Total Floor Area
1,931㎡
Material / Structure
RC structure, Curtain wall,Painted glass, Exposed aggregate concrete
Design Year
2003
Completion Year
2005