Danan Library Introduction
Passing by the Luguang Four Villages, this building that resembles a school auditorium, with its red bricks and green window frames, alongside the nostalgic characters of "Zhongzheng Hall," is hard to resist taking a closer look at. Once a cinema in the memories of the local elderly, it was transformed into the Taoyuan City Library Dawan Branch in 2011, becoming a cultural space promoting arts and culture. In 1964, the Ministry of National Defense's Army Headquarters established a cultural and health center here, providing military officers, their families, and Dawan residents with a venue for watching movies. Today, the Dawan Library, which carries the living memories of local residents, retains the characteristics of 1950s military industrial architecture. The original ticket counter has been converted into a mail delivery and book return point, while the façade facing Chongqing Street is symmetrically designed and complemented by a pebble-washed mountain-shaped wall, creating a modern architectural aesthetic with its minimalist lines. Stepping inside, the undulating floor, rows of seats, and the walls with movie projection holes transport travelers back to the cinematic era. The multimedia screening room located in the central area of the first floor continues the imagery of the former cinema, while the second floor restoration display area houses old roof tiles from Zhongzheng Hall and film projection tubes, along with an introduction to its restoration history on the walls. Another highlight of the library is the Fink-style steel frame rooftop; the crisscrossing steel structure adds a retro industrial vibe to the old building. Climbing up to the attic for a view downwards offers an intense visual tension. The two-story high design creates an airy and unoppressive interior, with soft cushions laid on the window sills, allowing visitors to leisurely immerse themselves in the vast sea of books at any time.
