China's most beautiful library: Photos of Tianjin's new public library have set the internet ablaze. Social media users and local media alike were impressed. Some called it "the most beautiful library in China," quickly making it the most popular attraction in Tianjin.
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Popular attraction: Queues stretch outside the library at weekends. Since its opening in October, the library has welcomed about 10,000 visitors per day.
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Binhai Cultural Center: The 33,700-square-meter Tianjin Binhai Public Library is one of the five main attractions in the Binhai Cultural Center, the city's new recreational district.
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The sphere: The new structure has a sleek futuristic design featuring a luminous spherical auditorium space in the center, created by the Dutch architecture firm MVRDV and Tianjin's Urban Planning Design Institute.
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The eye: The atrium of the library is shaped like an eye. "The eye is a recognizable feature of the design visible from inside and outside but also a fully functioning atrium with a capacity of 110," MVRDV tells CNN.
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Book mountain: Visitors have complained about the lack of actual books in the atrium. Most of the shelves in the atrium are plastered with images of book spines instead of actual books.
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No heels, no non-hikers: The curvy contours surrounding the sphere host myriad bookshelves. They also act as stairs and seating to form a massive book mountain. The library advises that readers under the age of 14, and those who wear heels or are unfit for hiking shouldn't climb the book mountain.
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Using architecture to promote reading: "We want to develop new typologies for all our cultural projects, a place that inspires users and also promotes and celebrates -- in this case -- reading," says MVRDV's spokesperson.
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Urban living room: "We interiorized the building by creating a beautiful public space inside; a new urban living room is its center," says Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV, in an official statement.
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Previous works from MVRDV: It's not the first MVRDV project to win over the internet. Some of its previous works, including Suffolk's Balancing Barn and Rotterdam's Market Hall, have also become popular Instagram spots.
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Record-breaking speed: This project is MVRDV's fastest project to date. It took just three years to build -- from the first sketch to the opening -- due to a tight construction schedule set by local officials.
