Ten Chinese bookshops that display books in imaginative ways
2021.08.25
From shops that display books on tree trunk columns to stores that reflect books all over the walls, we've rounded up ten bookshops in China that exhibit books in non-traditional ways.
1. Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore, Chongqing, by X+Living
Mirrored ceilings and zigzag staircases create the disorientating interior of this bookstore in southwest China designed by Shanghai-based studio X+Living.
The books that line the many walls are amplified by mirrored panels on the ceiling, giving the illusion that there are thousands of books within the store.
2. Cifi Xintiandi bookshop, Shanghai, by Wutopia
Perforated aluminium and quartz stone were used for the bookshelves in this maze-like Shanghai bookstore by local architecture studio Wutopia Lab.
The 452-square-metre bookstore is made up of interconnected cave-like spaces for relaxing and admiring the many plants dotted around the shop.
3. Harbook, Hangzhou by Alberto Caiola
Books are exhibited on steel archways and giant geometric display stands inside this book and concept store in Hangzhou, China, designed by Alberto Caiola.
Caiola designed the geometric forms and silver coloured surfaces to attract young urban customers to the Harbook bookshop.
4. Yangzhou Zhongshuge, Zhen Yuan, by XL Muse
Floor to ceiling arched bookshelves and a black mirrored floor create a tunnel of books inside this store.
Shanghai studio XL-Muse looked to the waters in the surrounding Zhen Yuan area to design the shop with the mirrored flooring emulating the reflective quality of water.
5. Mumokuteki Concept Bookstore, Bejing, by LUO Studio
Chinese architecture firm LUO Studio inserted translucent rotating walls that pivot inside the interior of this bookshop in Beijing.
Located in the basement of a retail mall in the Chinese capital, Mumokuteki Concept Bookstore has books, design objects, flowers, food and coffee for sale.
The rotating walls, which are composed of a steel frame and frosted plexiglass, act as dividers or partitions, allowing the store owners to adapt the space as they see fit.
6. The Glade Bookstore
Books are hidden behind translucent glass panels at The Glade Bookstore in Chongqing, which was designed by architecture studio HAS Design and Research.
Nestled among a range of nearby high rise buildings, the bookshop and restaurant makes use of calming colours and materials to contrast the bustle of the city outside.
7. Sinan Books: Shanghai Sanctum, Shanghai, by Wutopia Lab
Chinese architecture studio Wutopia Lab designed Sinan Books: Shanghai Sanctum to resemble a map of the human body and mind.
The metaphorical "subconscious" part of the body is located on the first floor of the building, while the entrance level represents the building's heart, the third floor symbolise the eyes and ears, and the top floor the brain.
8. Paddy Field Bookstore, Xiadi Village, by Trace Architecture Office
Trace Architecture Office transformed an abandoned house into a store for independent booksellers Librairie Avant.
The bookshop is mostly hidden from the outside as it is tucked into the old rammed earth gables of the building in the remote countryside. A cantilevering cafe space projecting from the building is the only clue to the building's total transformation.
9. Hubei Foreign Language Bookstore, Wuhan, by Wutopia Lab
A third bookshop by architecture studio Wutopia Lab is located in Wuhan, China. The studio renovated the Hubei Foreign Language Bookstore by inserting a shard-like glass lightwell that pierces through six floors.
Triangular aluminium plates that form the facade on the exterior are designed to mimic the unique lightwell inside.
10. Zhongshuge-Hangzhou, Hangzhou, by XL-Muse
An oval room in this bookshop in Hangzhou by Shanghai studio XL-Muse has stepped shelving for books, while tree-trunk-shaped columns are used to display books throughout the store.
Mirrors give the impression that the rooms are larger than they are.
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***Source: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/08/24/chinese-bookshops-roundup/
***Author: Alice Finney
