File this one under "Bucket List." Not Just Library is a cultural and design library located in Taipei. The building is an adaptive reuse of an 83-year-old women’s bathhouse, formerly part of a tobacco factory. The design draws inspiration from the building’s original function, reimagining the act of bathing as an immersive experience in books and knowledge. Visitors are invited to "bathe" in literature, with spaces crafted to evoke the sensation of being enveloped in thought and creativity.

In the spirit of wabi-sabi, the renovation preserves historic elements such as vintage wall and floor tiles and the original semicircular bath, which now serves as a "book pool" for displaying titles. The same spirit of reflection, gratitude, and growth informs the design of an adjacent garden—a "simple and harmonious place" where "light, shadow, and form express a quiet elegance".

ARTICLE: Not Just Library / JC Architecture + Motif Planning & Design