Designed by the Dutch studio MVRDV, this huge futuristic-style library is characterized by undulating walls entirely covered with books (the upper books are pinted because the shelves are inacessible.) The five-storey building holds 1.2 million books, which can be taken to a multitude of reading rooms, lounges and educational spaces arrayed along the edges of the interior and accessible through the main atrium space. Subterranean rooms make room for book storage, a large archive and rooms for public events. At the center of the library , there is a monumental luminous sphere called The Eye, a spherical auditorium for conferences, conventions and events. “The Tianjin Binhai Library interior is almost cave-like, a continuous bookshelf,” says Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV. “We opened the building by creating a beautiful public space inside – a new urban living room is its centre. The bookshelves are great spaces to sit and at the same time allow for access to the upper floors. The angles and curves are meant to stimulate different uses of the space, such as reading, walking, meeting and discussing.” Together they form the 'eye' of the building: to see and be seen."