As public cultural architecture continues to evolve, the emphasis is shifting from iconic forms toward spaces that encourage everyday engagement. Libraries, museums, and civic institutions are increasingly expected to function as cultural landmarks and also as welcoming environments where reading, learning, gathering, and social interaction naturally unfold.
Located on the western bank of the Ba River within Xi’an’s Chanba Ecological Area, Chang’an Academy · Xi’an Public Library exemplifies this changing approach. Designed by the Urban & Architectural Design Research Center of China Northwest Architecture Design and Research Institute, with HONG Designworks leading the interior design, the project combines a public library, exhibition spaces, educational facilities, and cultural venues into a unified civic destination. Facing the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center across the river, the development establishes a significant new cultural landmark while prioritizing the experience of its visitors.
Reinterpreting Monumentality Through Human Scale
Large civic buildings often rely on dramatic architectural gestures to establish their identity. While visually compelling, such monumental expressions can sometimes feel detached from daily life.
Chang’an Academy responds to this challenge through an architecture inspired by traditional Chinese roof forms. A sweeping roofline gently unfolds along the Ba River, echoing the upward-curving silhouette of historic Chinese architecture. The roof subtly dips at its center before extending outward, creating an open frontage that softens the building’s imposing scale.
The structure appears to float above the landscape. Viewed from across the river, its profile resembles an open book, a symbolic reference to the institution’s cultural purpose.
Yet the project’s defining achievement lies beyond its architectural profile.
Transforming the Atrium into a Social Landscape
Instead of treating the central atrium as a monumental circulation void, HONG Designworks transforms it into an active public environment designed for gathering, reading, and interaction.
The expansive volume has been carefully layered with reading platforms, service areas, seating, and informal gathering spaces. These interventions introduce rhythm and hierarchy while preserving the openness of the original architecture.
One of the most significant design moves is the reconfiguration of the building’s circulation system. The original staircase directed visitors away from the reception and library functions. The redesigned staircase now guides movement through the reception area before ascending to the upper levels, creating a more intuitive sequence while encouraging greater engagement with the public spaces. The interior gradually unfolds through circulation and visual connections.
Material Warmth Within a Civic Interior
To balance the vast interior volumes, the design introduces a restrained palette that emphasizes comfort without compromising durability.
Wood-grain metal panels replace natural timber, satisfying fire safety and maintenance requirements while preserving the tactile warmth associated with wood. Throughout the atrium, warm neutral finishes soften the cool atmosphere typically found in large public buildings.
Curved seating elements, sculptural staircases, and generous daylight further contribute to an environment that feels approachable rather than monumental. Together, these elements create a civic interior that encourages visitors to slow down, explore, and remain within the space.
Blurring the Boundaries Between Cultural Programs
Chang’an Academy encourages them to operate as interconnected experiences.
A sunken stepped amphitheater becomes one of the project’s primary public gathering spaces. While functioning as an extension of the reading environment, it also accommodates lectures, book launches, performances, and community events.
Its colorful stepped seating introduces a vibrant visual contrast within the otherwise muted material palette, reinforcing the building’s role as a living public venue.
Throughout the building, reading rooms, exhibition spaces, educational programs, and informal meeting areas are woven together through interconnected atria, open platforms, and shared circulation routes. The result is a fluid cultural environment where visitors may arrive to read, attend an event, meet friends, or simply pass through, each activity becoming part of the building’s everyday rhythm.
A New Model for Public Cultural Architecture
Chang’an Academy reflects a broader shift in contemporary civic architecture. The project demonstrates how thoughtful spatial planning can foster stronger connections between architecture, people, and city life.
By softening monumentality through circulation, materiality, and flexible public programming, HONG Designworks creates an environment where publicness emerges not as a symbolic gesture but through continuous daily use. The library becomes more than a repository of books; it becomes an active social infrastructure that supports learning, interaction, and community life within Xi’an.
Chang’an Academy Project Facts
- Project: Chang’an Academy · Xi’an Public Library
- Location: Xi’an, China
- Area: 70,016.90 sqm
- Completion: December 2024
- Lead Designer: Zhao Yuanchao
- Architectural Design: China Northwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd. (Urban & Architectural Design Research Center)
- Interior Design: HONG Designworks (MINGRI FORMA Design Research) in collaboration with China Northwest Architectural Design and Research Institute Co., Ltd.
- Photography: Studio Ten (Tan Xiao)
