Tianjin Binhai Library Comes to the Top of "World's 100 Greatest Places for 2018", According to Time Magazine

Recently, TIME magazine of America announced a list of tourist destinations, "World's 100 greatest places for 2018", in which, Tianjin Binhai Library comes to the top.

"Featuring an all-white futuristic design and a luminous spherical auditorium, the new 33,700-square-meter structure has been attracting bumper crowds since it opened in October 2017".

"That library, the Tianjin Binhai Library, has become nothing short of an Instagram sensation since opening late last year. More than a million books sit on shelves from floor to lofted ceiling all in a bright, brilliant white."

Dutch architect Winy Maas of MVRDV made it "a social space for reading and inspiration".

Newsweek America called it "EVERY BOOK LOVER'S DREAM"; Daily Mail called it "ultimate library"; Lonely Planet, the famous tourist magazine, called it "futuristic library".

Tianjin Binhai Library in China, designed by MVRDV, is a vast cave formed to house up to 1.2 million books within a five-storey-high stream of undulating shelving (mountain of books). A spherical auditorium at the centre watches over the 33,700-square-metre space like a luminous, all-seeing eye. 1200 seats are available in the library for book lovers. The library was officially open to the public on October 1st, 2017.

1F of central nave: "Mountain of Books" and the spherical auditorium; 2F: study room, kids books and exhibition hall; 3F: books about social sciences. 1F of north area: reading room for the aged, study room for the visual impaired; 2F: study room for citizens; 3F: books about natural science; 4F: Chinese publishes, foreign books and special service area (closed temporarily); 5F: digital reading room.

Public services like literature loaning, consulting, public lecture and exhibition are available for free in the library. Citizens of Tianjin can directly borrow books with ID cards (registered to be reader's ID) or QR code on mobile. 8 books can be borrowed at one time with one reader's ID for at most 30 days.

Since some fantastic photos of "the most beautiful library in China" went viral on social media in October, 2017, Tianjin Binhai Library has been on the to-do list of every book lover. Jorge Luis Borges, a writer from Argentina, said: I had been imagining secretly that the heaven should be like a library. Strolling among undulating shelving can yet be regarded as a significant trip to find the peace of your soul.

Address: Southwest side of the intersection of Central Avenue and Dalian East Street, Binhai New Area, Tianjin.

Tips:

Opening hour of Cultural Center: 10:00-21:00 Tuesday to Sunday, 14:00-21:00 Monday (official holidays excepted); closed on forenoon of Monday.