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Gwacheon Children's Library

Gwacheon Children's Library

Gwacheon-si, South Korea

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Other Projects by G/O Architecture

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Institute of International Education Hanyang University

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Gwacheon Children's Library

Gwacheon-si, South Korea

Firm

G/O Architecture

Type

Educational › Library

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2026

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

The renovation of the Children’s Library at Gwacheon Information Science Library reconsiders the library not as a functional repository of books, but as an environment that enables children to experience exploration and discovery through space. Rather than defining reading as a singular activity, the project understands it as something that emerges naturally through movement, occupation, and spatial engagement. The library is therefore reimagined as a spatial landscape where movement, perception, pause, and discovery are continuously layered.
Geometry serves as the primary architectural language of the project. Forms of varying scales and proportions are embedded throughout walls, openings, shelving systems, furniture, and graphic elements, establishing a coherent spatial order across the library. These geometric interventions operate not as decorative motifs but as architectural devices that structure perception and guide exploration. Strategic applications of yellow, green, and blue distinguish different zones while simultaneously creating visual continuity throughout the two-level library.
Occupying both the ground floor and basement level, the library accommodates diverse modes of reading and occupation through a variety of spatial typologies. Floor-level shelving, wall-integrated bookcases, circular reading platforms, and shelving systems articulated through geometric perforations encourage multiple ways of engaging with books and space. Users are not confined to predetermined positions or furniture arrangements; rather, they are invited to select, occupy, and appropriate spaces according to their own patterns of use. Reading becomes an activity embedded within a broader spatial experience rather than a program confined to designated furniture. Birch plywood is employed throughout the interior, introducing a warm and tactile materiality that softens the institutional character typically associated with public libraries.
At the center of the open space, an existing structure was removed and replaced with a new tree-like architectural intervention. Clad in birch plywood, the structure serves as the spatial and visual anchor of the library, establishing a vertical connection between the basement and ground floor. More than a sculptural object, it functions as an inhabitable spatial device that accommodates sitting, gathering, and reading while organizing movement and perception throughout the interior.
Integrated within this structure is an elevated loft that provides a more intimate reading environment. Positioned within the larger open volume yet maintaining a degree of separation, the loft introduces spatial density and layered occupation to the library. This vertical arrangement enriches the interior with multiple viewpoints and visual relationships, creating a more complex spatial experience. A constellation of pendant lights suspended around the structure reinforces its presence as the symbolic center of the library while contributing to the warm atmosphere of the space.
A key architectural gesture of the project is the introduction of a continuous ribbon-like element that links the loft balustrade, circular staircase, and the edge of the connecting ramp. Conceived as a unifying spatial infrastructure, this intervention integrates the two levels into a cohesive architectural experience. Composed of layered timber surfaces and green accent panels, the ribbon establishes a continuous visual flow while connecting horizontal and vertical circulation into a single spatial sequence.
The newly designed circular staircase forms an integral part of this continuous system. Its solid curved balustrade possesses a strong sculptural presence while simultaneously functioning as a connective element between spaces. By allowing individual components to be perceived as part of a larger architectural framework, the project reinforces the continuity of spatial experience throughout the library.
The entrance sequence was conceived not simply as a point of arrival but as the first episode within the broader spatial narrative of the library. Geometric colored films applied to the glazed entrance establish a visual dialogue between exterior and interior, extending the identity of the library beyond its physical boundaries. Within the Welcome Lounge, an interactive wall introduces opportunities for participation and engagement, functioning as a flexible interface between users and the institution.
While maintaining the project's overall architectural language, the basement level develops its own spatial character. Timber louvers, color accents, exhibition displays, and circular seating elements combine to create a series of layered spatial conditions. Variations in materiality, color, and perspective generate an environment that continuously rewards exploration and movement.
The ramp connecting the two levels was conceived as a spatial promenade rather than a purely functional circulation route. Walls, openings, and geometric patterns unfold sequentially along its length, transforming movement itself into an architectural experience. As children travel between floors, shifting viewpoints and changing spatial relationships reveal the library as a continuous and interconnected environment where circulation and occupation become inseparable.
The Children’s Library at Gwacheon Information Science Library is ultimately not a project about designing a reading room, but about constructing an environment for learning through spatial experience. Geometry, materiality, color, and circulation are woven together to dissolve conventional distinctions between reading and exploration, learning and play. In doing so, the library becomes more than a repository of information; it emerges as a spatial framework that cultivates curiosity, imagination, and discovery through architecture itself.

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Gwacheon Children's Library

Gwacheon-si, South Korea

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Gwacheon Children's Library

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Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team

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Gwacheon Children's Library

Gwacheon-si, South Korea

Other Projects by G/O Architecture

UNI-CENTER

The Ultimate Gray

Livingrooms at School

Knock the Door

The Nuwon Maru

Institute of International Education Hanyang University

Layered House

The HYU Lounge

The Nuwon Art Room

The Start-up Support Centre

The Hwigyeong Maker Space

The Birch Library

The Flat Bench Library

The Moving Band

The Curved Surface

Around the Corner

The Communicative Wall

The Red Brick Library

The Blue Moon

The Blue Books

Gwacheon Children's Library

Gwacheon-si, South Korea

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team