In Wuchang, west of Xixi Wetland, Hangzhou’s established urban fabric meets the city’s ongoing expansion toward Future Sci-Tech City. Here, BaFang Library creates a new cultural and sports destination, rooted in the rhythms of everyday urban life.
The architecture unfolds in a fluid, continuous rhythm. Copper-brown lines sweep across the façade, rising and bending at corners—translating the undulating landscapes of Jiangnan and the surging tides of the Qiantang River into a continuous architectural expression.
Inside, colors take center stage.
Colors, lines, and compositions drawn from a range of artworks are reinterpreted as spatial boundaries and visual cues. Here, visual composition is no longer static; movement turns it into a constantly shifting spatial experience.
The atrium rises uninterrupted from the ground floor to the upper levels, drawing the surrounding corridors into a continuous field of view. A dense rhythm of vertical layers recalls the cadence of the trees, while continuous bands of color extend upward along the circulation loop, linking venues across multiple floors. Before entering any individual space, a visual order has already taken shape.
Orange walls define the entrance to the underground garage, where linear lighting guides the journey ahead.
This chromatic relationship informs the fitness and boxing areas. Red extends from the floor onto selected wall surfaces, while gray and black appear on equipment and ceilings. The colors shift gradually, without abrupt transitions.
Positioned along the public circulation route, the sports shop accommodates moments of pause before and after physical activities. Above, a sequence of illuminated rounded rectangles stretches across the ceiling, establishing a clear, measured rhythm.
The warmth of the painting flows into the stepped reading lounge, softening the transition from entrance to interior. Orange accents extend inward across the ceiling, while tiered timber seating and long window-side tables offer places to read and unwind.
This sense of order becomes the underlying logic of the basketball court. Black lines extend across the timber floor, while touches of primary color punctuate selected areas, creating visual anchors. The balance is repeatedly disrupted and re-established with every movement.
The other basketball court draws from this interplay of curves and color transitions. Blue and green extend beneath the basket, while pink and violet accents appear along court markings and on walls. The contours of the landscape are translated into the free-throw circle, three-point line, and surrounding walls. As movement unfolds across the court, the perception of space shifts accordingly.
The tennis court draws on this play of concealment and revelation. Against a deep green background, the columns, window frames and nets appear and disappear from view as players move through the space. Here, Magritte’s visual puzzle becomes an experience of movement.
This sense of openness in the painting informs the book lounge. Circular white bookshelf walls define the space, with touches of yellow appearing on selected bookshelves and seating. A sequence of arches draws the eye inward, encouraging a slower pace through the space.
The first badminton court takes on the same softness. Pink spreads across the court, while blue recedes to the perimeter and the dark ceiling subdues the overall palette. The white court markings remain distinct, accentuating the lightness and agility of the sport.
The painting’s dynamic contrast of light and dark flows into the second badminton court. A large expanse of blue stretches from the floor onto walls, punctuated by touches of yellow and white court markings. As players move and leap through the field of blue, the brighter perimeter continually draws the eye inward.
Deep violet fills the court, while circles are dispersed throughout the space, set against the precise geometry of the playing field. The order within the rectangle extends beyond its boundaries.
Beyond the courts, the tension gradually softens. Soft white and timber form a quiet backdrop for the badminton club lounge, while violet settles into the seating and glass partitions. This interplay of colors lends the lounge a quiet atmosphere, inviting moments of rest and conversation after training.
This uninterrupted expanse of blue extends into the pickleball court. Deep blue stretches across the court, set against a gray perimeter and dark ceiling. The ball moves through this field of pure blue, its trajectory clear and direct.
The football court draws on the painting’s play of color, line, and geometry. Green stretches across the court, while geometric patterns appear on walls and selected boundaries. Diagonal and angular lines draw the eye toward the far end, establishing a clear sense of direction.
The squash court translates this sense of layering into space. Blue, orange and cyan appear across the translucent glass enclosures, remaining distinct while forming a continuous chromatic relationship along the circulation. Multiple viewpoints unfold as the body moves back and forth through the court.
The intellectual club draws on this calm palette as its backdrop, creating a contemplative ambience. Green extends across the bookshelves on either side, while gridded shelving and a white ceiling lend the space a quiet clarity. Timber steps at the center introduce subtle shifts in spatial rhythm.
In this project, color is not applied as decoration, but becomes part of the space itself. The visual logic drawn from the artworks shapes spatial boundaries, sightlines and movement, establishing a sense of order in which visual composition and physical movement continually reshape spatial experience.
Within the swimming pool, blue unfolds in every direction. Water, curved ceiling, and linear lighting extend toward the far end, while a landscape mural traces a low horizon across the wall. Here, blue is no longer simply seen; it surrounds the swimmers.
Team:
Interior design: GFD Studio
Interior design team: Ye Fei, Wu Chitao, Deng Qiang, Li Zhida
Architectural design: DSA Group
Architectural design team: Ling Haijun,Li Shuai,Wu Xuepeng,Feng Lingang,Lin Chengchang, Yu Ji
Design scope: architecture, interior, landscape, FF&E, signage
Primary materials: stone, tiles, wood veneer, stainless steel, decorative coating
Photography: Hanmo Vision
Text: Tang Zi
