In Shuangyue Bay, China, the Water Drop Library has recently opened. Designed by Chinese firm 3andwich and half sunk in a cliff, it consists of a circular main structure and a long walkway. The concave roof, similar to a bowl, contains a shallow pool with blue waters, with a series of stepping stones that allow you to walk on it.

According to 3andwich, the library has a “poetic tension”. The architecture firm said: “Entering the building is a journey to reunderstand nature and oneself”. In fact, the circuitous terrain is supposed to symbolize the sometimes difficult educational journey and the exterior walkway has been symbolically dubbed “the path to the mountain of books”.

The outside walls are made of floor-to-ceiling windows, encircling the space in natural light and views of the marine landscape. While in the center of the inner space, accessible through a break in the shelving, visitors can find a dark and quiet room, covered with wooden panels.