The "Zheshui Natural Library", a rural reading room nestled deep in the mountains of Zheshui village, Lingchuan county, Shanxi province, has drawn international attention after the German Design Council's Iconic Awards 2026 honored Zheshui village committee with the "Architect's Client of the Year" award.

Designed by LUO Studio at the Zheshui village committee's request, the reading room blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings. The design team, led by Luo Yujie, utilized the existing mountain terrain, adding only a sloping roof and a wooden load-bearing wall to preserve the area's rustic charm.

Villagers read books in the Zheshui Natural Library. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

This wall serves multiple purposes: inside, it functions as a bookshelf; outside, it provides seating and supports the building structurally. Luo emphasized that the wisdom of traditional Chinese wooden architecture, which integrates structure with furniture, inspired the design team.

Sunlight streams through the glass windows, illuminating the interior where villagers sit on woven mats placed over smoothed mountain rocks. These rocks, layered like pages, inspired the name "Shale Reading Room".

Supported by local government and community efforts, the 100-square-meter library now houses nearly 2,000 books. It has become a popular destination for visitors eager to read amid nature and admire the unique architecture, while allowing villagers to benefit from this "tourism economy".