The Serpentine Bookhouse, designed by Atelier Xi, is located amidst greenery along the Dasha River Ecological Corridor in Nanshan District.

To its west, the 13-kilometer scenic pathway of the ecological corridor runs continuously, and the north side is close to a children’s park with sand pits, attracting many family visitors. The east side is surrounded by dense residential communities.

This public building includes a children’s reading room of 300 square meters and a public restroom open to park visitors 24/7, serving local residents and visitors starting from the fall of 2022.

The traditions and folklore of fishermen along the Dasha River inspired the architects to adopt a spiral structure, reminding people of a conch. The building, resembling a rising spiral sculpture, claims minimum ground space so that it doesn’t compete against plants or outdoor spaces.

The end of the spiral structure leads to an open balcony on the top that faces the riverside park, providing visitors with a place to relax at the height of the treetops. The interior presents itself as a series of terraced reading spaces winding around the trees in the atrium, offering a panoramic view of the park landscape through floor-to-ceiling windows. A slide in the building is open to children every day after school.

Vertical fences on the facade of the building serve as sunshades, casting changing shadows on the interior walls at different times of the day. Windows in the reading areas and on the second-floor balcony, as well as sliding doors, can be fully opened to allow in fresh air.