SOM Creates a Rounded Library Wrapped in Aluminium Fins for Chicago’s Chinatown

Architecture firm SOM incorporated principles from Feng Shui, the ancient Chinese design philosophy, while conceiving the new Chinatown Branch Library in Chicago. Encompassing 16,000 square feet (1,490 square metres), the new library is located in Chicago’s Near South Side, on an urban site near a busy intersection and elevated metro station…”The Chinatown Branch recognises the critical role that the library plays in uniting the Chinatown community,” said Brian Lee, a design partner at SOM. “It creates a key community anchor and an enduring cultural asset that will serve community members of all ages and accommodate diverse activities.”