X+Living, which has already designed many bookstores scattered throughout China, has just completed a new stunning bookstore in Chongqing for its client Zhongshuge
A big place located at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, in southwest China, Chongqing is a growing city, full of charming places. Located on the third and fourth floors of the Zodi Plaza skyscraper, Chongqing Zhongshuge bookstore welcomes its visitors with a simple glass façade. The surprise is hidden inside. This bookstore, set on 1,300 square meters, seems to have been designed to catch the attention of readers and architecture enthusiasts.
According to X+Living, the practice established in 2011 by young Li Xiang, books become a real compositional and creative material, ideal for crafting scenographic and photogenic environments.
In the entrance covered with mirrors, for example, the shelves are reflected on the floor forming a tunnel of books that invites visitors to follow it. The shelves of the children’s reading room are painted with the landscape, buildings and means of transport typical of Chongqing.
In the main room, the double staircase with bookshelves and the mirrored ceiling double the size of the room creating amazing effects.
[Text Luisa Castiglioni-Ph. Shao Feng]
Click here to read our interview with Shanghai-based architect Weichen Zhong with whom we discussed the evolution of design in China.
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