Water Drop Library integrates cultural, environmental, and public attributes
The Water Drop Library by 3andwich Design is an innovative architectural project nestled within Shuangyue Bay Central Park, located in Pinghai Town, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. The park, positioned between the historic Pinghai town and the expansive sea, features a terrain that slopes from the hilly north to the southern coastline.
The library occupies a prominent “peninsula-shaped” hill at the park’s center, offering striking views: hills and valleys to the north and an expansive 270-degree sea view to the south. While the site offers remarkable scenic advantages, it also poses challenges due to nearby residential buildings that partially obstruct views and require strict height limitations to preserve surrounding sightlines.
The Water Drop Library’s design masterfully integrates cultural, environmental, and public attributes. Located at the hilltop’s edge, the structure merges seamlessly with the terrain, minimizing its height while maximizing views. The building’s geometric form—a circular main structure paired with a linear corridor and wall—balances abstraction with contextual sensitivity. The white façade and dramatic bowl-shaped roof, containing a water pool, create a striking visual identity. The pool contributes an ethereal quality, presenting the library as though submerged underwater.
The long wall serves a dual purpose: shielding the library from unsightly nearby structures and guiding visitors’ perspectives towards the sea and the rooftop pool. This design element becomes especially poignant at sunset, when light and shadow interact romantically along its length, enhancing the building’s atmospheric allure.
Visitors reach the library via a winding path on the hill’s northern slope, symbolically evoking the effort of intellectual pursuit. Upon arrival, a journey through sequential spatial contrasts unfolds. A narrow porch leads into a central circular space, characterized by simplicity and Zen-like tranquility, before transitioning to the bright and open reading area. This semi-circular space, bordered by nearly 270-degree floor-to-ceiling glass, offers sweeping views of the sea and sky, inviting introspection and connection with nature.
The Water Drop Library’s interior reinforces this theme with soft curves, light tones, and modular furniture positioned along the outer glass walls, encouraging peaceful reading. Cloud-like bookshelves blend functionality with artistic expression, while dedicated spaces, such as a VIP tea room and dramatic restrooms, provide intimate and reflective settings. A water bar, illuminated by sunlight filtered through a colorful roof installation, adds a vibrant, playful touch.
The rooftop pool epitomizes the design’s utopian aspirations, blurring boundaries between water, sky, and sea. Without barriers, the pool’s edge enhances the architecture’s purity while maintaining safety through thoughtful spatial design. The Water Drop Library exemplifies 3andwich’s philosophy: a harmonious fusion of site, form, and narrative, offering a physical and visual dialogue between humanity and the environment.
Photography: Jin Weiqi, He Wei, Huizhou Shuangyue Bay Real Estate Investment and Development Co., Ltd., courtesy of 3andwich Design, shared with permission
