Reviving the Love for books: Pingtan's new community hub

Pingtan Book House: Reviving Cultural Identity in Dong Minority Villages

Pingtan Book House is a new community hub located in a Dong Minority village in China, designed by Condition_Lab. It features a unique staircase that loops endlessly through the traditional timber house, creating a destination in and of itself. The walls of the house have been transformed into bookshelves, creating a matrix of literature that overlooks a courtyard.

But Pingtan Book House is no ordinary library. It is a place where children can read and play at the same time, a new village library paradigm in China. For years, Dong Minority villages have been facing the decline of their architectural heritage, with entire villages built from a single sustainable material, indigenous China Fir, being rapidly replaced by concrete.

The Pingtan primary school, built entirely of concrete 20 years ago on the edge of the village, is a prime example of this condition. The complex, which accommodates more than 300 children aged 6-13, comprises a cluster of five buildings, including a Hall and Canteen, Classroom, Dormitories, and an Administration building, all surrounding a courtyard.

Condition_Lab saw an opportunity to make a small insertion by introducing a timber structure that retains the Dong architectural DNA and could reawaken a sense of wonder in their heritage. The design fosters a form of “living heritage” to reconnect and inspire children while allowing them to appreciate their precious culture via direct engagement.

The project is the second library designed by Condition_Lab in the region, with the first being Gaobu Book House, located 10 km upstream and acting as the elder sister in this family of interventions. Each project takes the traditional typology of the Dong “Galan” timber frame house and adapts it to a contemporary design, where elements such as stairs, walls, windows, and floors are reinterpreted.

Through a process of participation, the firm gained the trust of villagers and the school principal, enabling them to create a social narrative that also helped find donors to sponsor the project. The building was built with a single donation of 600,000 HKD from the Chan Cheung Mun Chung Charitable Fund, covering the entire cost of construction.

The library is built entirely using a single material, timber, with every element, including walls, stairs, and floors, following traditional Dong carpentry details, where ‘Dragon Joints’ composed of male and female interlocking parts are used as the main structural bond. The only ‘foreign’ material introduced was polycarbonate, used in façade panels that allow sunlight to filter in and provide external views.

Pingtan Book House is a remarkable achievement, embracing a Book House built entirely from timber, which not only provides a new space for children to read and play but also helps to revive and preserve Dong cultural identity. It is a reminder of the social importance of architecture, showing that social impact does not require large financial investments, and design is not limited to high-end projects.

Architects: CONDITION_LAB

Area: 180 m²

Year: 2021

Photographs: Sai Zhao, Xiaotie Chen

Lead Architect: Peter W. Ferretto