Mecanoo’s Kaohsiung Library is a Giant Garden Cube Lined With Potted Plants

How cool would it be if you visited your local library to find that it had been revamped with tons of greenery-filled spots for you to sit down and enjoy a good read? Well, that's the idea behind <a href="http://www.mecanoo.nl/">Mecanoo Architects'</a> new design for the Kaohsiung Public Library in Taiwan. The state-of-the-art multimedia research, study and entertainment space was conceived as a 60 x 60 meter cube lined with potted container plants (looks a lot like <a href="http://inhabitat.com/flower-tower-380-potted-plants-line-parisian-apartment-facade/">another building</a> we've seen) creating a microclimate inside.

The 38,000 m2 facility would offer quiet space for those who want to read or research as well as for larger public functions.

Inside, visitors could make use of not only the library but also a theatre complex, reading rooms, conference facilities, book stores, exhibition space, an open air theatre, a public plaza and outdoor space, and a sedum moss <a href="http://inhabitat.com/green-roof/">green roof</a>.

The expansive garden deck at the center of the design would be elevated from the street level to act as a buffer zone between the inner <a href="http://inhabitat.com/gardening">garden</a> and the urban fabric of the site.

The potted plants that line the building will provide shade to cool the interior of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/unstudio-unveils-green-roofed-library-of-the-future-for-belgium/">library</a> and cut down on electricity.

Inside the shaded garden, city dwellers will be able to escape the bustle of the business district and curl up with a book or just meet with friends.

In addition to the outdoor reading room the library will have a playground and a central multifunctional space connected to a large children’s theatre with flexible indoor and outdoor seating.

The giant three-dimensional <a href="http://inhabitat.com/gardening">garden </a>was designed in collaboration with Taipei-based Artech Architects and recently snagged the team second place in the open design competition.

A model of the library.