Rural Library Project Wins ‘Oscar of Architecture’

The Gaobu Book House, a children’s library built by Prof. Peter W. Ferretto of the School of Architecture and his team Condition_Lab in collaboration with the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guangzhou University and local villagers in rural Hunan, won the ‘Completed Buildings—Civic and Community’ category award at the World Architecture Festival 2019. Dubbed the ‘Oscars of architecture’, the festival recognizes some of the best architectural works in the world. Incorporating traditional features of the local Dong architecture, the library serves as a place for children in Gaobu village to learn, socialize, and have fun. The project was praised by the judges as ‘totally intertwined with the community—a project that goes well beyond the actual building and demonstrates excellence of process’.

This article was originally published in No. 551, Newsletter in Jan 2020.