Bookstores are the last place where you will expect any sort of glamour, however, this Shanghai-based Wutopia Lab designed one of the most classy looking bookstore in Xi’an, China. This place is all-curves with no sharp edges and made with custom-made steel racks to hold books.
The whole store is pure white featuring stream lined free spaces as well as public reading areas and book recommendation areas. Carefully crafted steel structure that hide beneath the white, support the shelves of the store and the 3-meter long steel-plated bookshelves project out of the wall making them look like they’re floating in the air. The use of technology was abundant in this project as digital designing and programming determined each free space. CNC machine tools fabricated the entire interior, which was assembled in-situ using precise numbering and figures.
The ‘book of the month’ stands in the centre of the store with the help of structural beam giving it an exquisitely unique look. To make it fancier, the floor slab beneath the beam was replaced with a glass floor, hence creating the impression of a water surface. There is also a room for meetings and conferences beneath the glass slab.
The children’s section gives the illusion of a crystal structure hidden within the forest. Hidden entrances, caves, tricks and starry skies keep the children engaged within the bookstore.
This place is practically a reading paradise for book lovers and an architectural dream for designers.
All Images: © CreatAR Images via Arch Daily
h/t: Design Boom