Shanghai-based architecture firm X+Living has unveiled yet another Zhongshuge bookstore, this time situated in the city of Dujiangyan, in the South West of China. The new store, with its mirrored ceilings and its tall arc bookshelves, generates a unique, mesmerizing environment where one can explore the wondrous world of literature and cultural heritage.
Push the glass curtain door open, the unique C-shape bookshelves with a natural walnut color will be in front of your eyes. The seemingly irregular sequence builds the intimacy of the space and becomes a highlight in the front hall. The inspiration exactly comes from gray tile with a historical sense. The unique and lively arc shape blazes a new trail and subtly divides the forum area. Walking through under the bookshelf is like walking alongside an outdoor eave, or stepping into a rolling mountain. Open a book, and you will be embraced into the atmosphere instantly. Wandering among the books, it seems that time also slows down with steps moving forward.
Stepping into the reading space, one could perceive the scenery images different from traditional bookstores and the profound cultural heritage. The bookshelves extend from the space to the adjacent columns, and ingeniously catch the readers’ curiosity and guide their route.
Walking through the winding way between bookshelf wall, the children’s reading area is suddenly exposed. Random and irregular green bamboo was ‘transformed’ into bookshelves in a creative way. The designer also decorates it with representative element of Sichuan, the lovely panda. The panda illustration hanging on the bookshelves like pandas climbing on high branches, creating the beautiful artistic conception and natural vitality. Looking downward, the colorful cushions are stacked like hills, creating a lovely and dreamy reading atmosphere for children. The cushions can also be separated for many people to use, which also provides comfort for children to sit on the ground and relax.
In the Central Literature District, the designer uses the mirror ceiling to visually expand spatial ductility and create an open and high feeling. The bookshelf wall inspired from the magnificent Dujiangyan dam spreads upward all the way, like a super city wall built with historical culture, which serves as a functional carrier for books. With the effect of black tiles flooring, the book tables seems like boats quietly mooring on the lake. It paddles and floats between the bookshelf wall. Any glimpse at the space will enjoy a visual feast. The changes of the architectural structure in the walking also reflect the dynamic aesthetics of climate changes, whether it’s rainy, windy or foggy. It seems that the beautiful scenery of Dujiangyan is vividly presented in the space. Through the door holes on the bookshelf wall, different functional areas are all under the eyesight, enrich the visual experiences of readers. Take a novel book you love. Come to the comfortable cafe and order a cup of coffee. Quietly embrace the mellow art atmosphere. Whether you stay for an afternoon or just drop by, you can appreciate the unique spiritual core of Zhongshuge, namely, giving all readers a very ornamental space, so as to produce ideological inspiration and create value.
When you go up the stairs, the bookshelves beside you offer a variety of books at accessible distance. Other places where people could not reach are decorated with book pattern film, you can still feel the majestic momentum of the space. By creating end scenery and using the technique of architecture, the designer moves the magnificent spirit of mountains and rivers into the indoor space, presents readers with elegant and powerful artistic landscape, and also expresses the awe to nature.
Here, we see a city. We listen to the dialogue between culture and wisdom, interpret the cultural thoughts condensed under the historical context, experience the ancient feelings with a poetic flavor, and realize the dream picture hidden in mind. Whether it is to use tile technology to depict anctient people’s wisdom in the reading area, or display the innocent happiness of encountering the bamboo sea in the children’s reading area, or portray the natural scenery in the literary area, they all aim to present a perfect destination for soul with the harmonious coexistence of ideal livability and natural ecology.