x+living combines wooden structures and mirrors in chinese bookstore

chinese architecture firm x+living designs yet another mesmerizing bookstore in china, this time on the third floor of a business park in the minhang district. the zhongshuge minhang store features the bookstore’s signature curtain that brings attention to its entrance in the middle of the building. the curtain wall clad in text welcomes people into the store and its magical experience.

upon entering the bookstore, there is a delicate black book wall with groups of peg-top bookshelves under the soft light. the white spinning top, in the black and silent context, stands still in the shining cloud and at moments seems like dancing. the designers reference balanced ballet dancers spinning, showing how with knowledge and reading, people too can achieve this balance.

in the wall, the black bookshelves are shaped into complex and bold geometries. the triangular bookshelves do not carry the books but the sophisticated structures hold them from the ceiling. the structure sprinkles downward along the triangular on the lower bookshelves, like street lamps, to illuminate the name of each book. the black bookshelf wall echoes statically with the dynamic spinning top in the middle, glowing amidst the books.

following the spinning top, lies the grand book hall of the store. at the moment of stepping across the doorway, guests are attracted and by the brand color of zhongshuge – a natural and raw dark brown that fills the space. here, the designers stretch the bookshelves on both sides and towards the mirror ceiling, to expand the area. meanwhile, x+living adds simple constructions made of arches with classical taste and concise style, which are silhouetted by the mirror and overlapped by the reflections into a sacred and ethereal british church.

the low-profile reading booths are set in the wing rooms, so that readers may sit down to read their selected books or have a rest. in this space, people appear to escape from the outside world and enjoy private and quiet reading time. another book space is hidden on one side of the wall, where more books are collected. the designer also uses mirrors in the end and extends the space to unbounded to create the reading tunnel space for the endless world of books.

through the mirror-clad book hall, the horizon becomes wide, and guests encounter what seems like a dance hall from the solemn book corridor. the bookshelves mimic the shape of the earlier bookshelves, but the space is open. in the middle, there is an delicate bar counter that adorns and fills up the space. the arch on the bookshelves falls on the corner of the bar counter, linking the elements in the room.

several black desks and white sofa chairs are elegantly arranged on the floor. readers may buy a cup of coffee with thick aroma while reading their selected books to immerse themselves in the world of books. the space of zhongshuge minhang store exactly expresses the ideas of this zhongshuge – a wonderful world of books and the atosphere of a colorful kaleidoscope. as another chapter following the zhongshuge themes store, x+living’s design of the zhongshuge minhang store continues to emphasize the beauty of books, cherishes culture and nurtures guests and readers who come in. the store holds the soul of books, and allows readers to experience the pleasure of books brought by zhongshuge with multi-dimensional vision, touch and taste.

project info:

project name: zhongshuge minhang bookstore

architects: x+living

location: minhang district, china

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edited by: cristina gomez | designboom