International design studio Snøhetta finishes the Beijing City Library located in China and it is a structure lined with glass and filled with towering columns that are reflective of trees. It also has rooms that are designed to imitate the look of hills. It is meant to create a new vision for the location and the design is inspired by the natural landscapes that surround the area, inviting visitors to reconnect with nature and disconnect from screens.
Partner at Snøhetta Robert Greenwood explains, "The terraced landscape and tree-like columns invite visitors to lift their gaze and focus at a distance, taking in the bigger picture. This is a place where you can be sitting under a tree, reading your favorite book. The Beijing City Library has an intergenerational quality about it, where you would pass on your stories to children and introduce them to the titles you've loved."