![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-architecture-design-161223-1254-01.jpg)
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has recently completed a new library in Kisarazu, Japan, that has been built into the earth.
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-green-roof-architecture-design-161223-1257-01.jpg)
Almost hidden from view, the library is located in an area that was once a valley filled with construction debris.
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-green-roof-architecture-design-161223-1257-02.jpg)
Now rejuvenated, the land was able to be used, with the architects creating a small cleft in the earth, where a tranquil place suitable for farmers to rest was created.
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-green-roof-architecture-design-161223-1257-03.jpg)
When viewed from above, the cleft looks like a water drop, however when walking along the path, you arrive at curved walls of glass with bookshelves lining the walls behind.
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-green-roof-architecture-design-161223-1257-04.jpg)
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-green-roof-architecture-design-161223-1257-05.jpg)
Seating has been positioned between the bookshelves, while the ceiling heights have been determined by the slope of the land.
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/hidden-library-green-roof-architecture-design-161223-1257-06.jpg)
![A modern library built into the earth includes a curved glass wall and bookshelves that wrap around the wall.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/modern-library-161223-1259-07.jpg)
Areas with low ceilings have small hidden rooms that only children can enter, while at the deepest part, there’s a hall for storytelling.
![A modern library that's built into the earth includes a storytelling room with a skylight.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/modern-library-161223-1259-08.jpg)
The 40mm thick vertical frames of the bookshelves extend overhead to support the space. When a thin vertical beam supports the next one, and that vertical beam is also supported by its neighbor, a large space can be supported as a whole when the repetition makes a circle.
![A modern library that's built into the earth includes a storytelling room with a skylight.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/modern-library-161223-1259-09.jpg)
The top light at the center of the structure, which symbolizes the agricultural community of the area, frames a view that resembles the earth covered in blue sky and clouds.
![A modern library that's built into the earth includes a storytelling room with a skylight.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/modern-library-161223-1259-10.jpg)
Other smaller reading rooms also have skylights which provide natural light for reading.
![A small reading room in a library, that includes a skylight.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/modern-library-161223-1259-11.jpg)
Here’s a look at the plan and cross-section of the library.
![The architectural plan of a library built into the earth.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/architectural-plan-161223-1250-01.jpg)
![The architectural cross-section of a library built into the earth.](https://www.contemporist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/architectural-cross-section-161223-1251-01.jpg)