Public vote winner for business building of the year: MUDA Architects has created a lakeside bookstore that connects with its surroundings in southwestern China's Sichuan province.

The project sits on the shore of Xinglong Lake in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. Its architectural form pays homage to its natural environment setting and aims to reflect and embody the leisurely lifestyle of the city.

The design of the structure is a visual metaphor for a book falling from the sky and highlights the relationship with the lake. The curved roof surface is formed in the shape of a flipped book, which reinterprets the pitched roof of vernacular Chengdu architecture and neatly echoes the water ripples. Titanium zinc panels are adopted and installed for the architectural surface to provide a texture reminiscent of fish scales, creating a further connection with the shimmering lake.

Architect: MUDA Architects

Project: Xinglong Lake CITIC Bookstore