archstudio blends books, coffee and plants in beijing's bookstore

archstudio blends books, coffee and plants in beijing’s rong bao zhai bookstore
image © wang ning

created by archstudio, ‘rong bao zhai coffee bookstore’ is a project located in a well-known street in beijing that used to function originally as a store selling chinese painting, calligraphy publications and ancient books. the design concept based itself on the idea that in today’s information era, traditional bookstores need to upgrade their business plan and offer clients something innovative that they cannot get online. the result was to mix the store with a coffee house to attract readers that are also interested in diversified experiences.

the bookshelf combines transparent materials with a iron bars as vertical support and iron plates as layer boards
image © wang ning

the total construction area is of about 300 square meters and is based on the original pole net of the building. its ring-like space distribution allowed to place in the center an island-style area and surround it with an iron bookshelf wall. the center island on the first floor is used as the cashier desk and coffee operating table, the one on the second floor works as a meeting room– a shiny box enclosed by a switchable glass. this glass can be modified so they can be transparent or opaque, giving a flexible use to the space.

an island-style area is located in the center, surrounded by the iron bookshelf wall
image © wang ning

in order to change the heavy and rigid feeling of traditional bookstores, a special bookshelf was designed, combining transparent materials with iron bars as vertical support and iron plates as the layer boards. the piece of furniture works not only to store books but to place plants that give readers a sense of nature and tranquility while adjusting the indoor microclimate. LED light strips were installed at the bottom of the plant boxes, providing readers with indirect illumination.

the soft membrane ceiling gives the center island an homogeneous integral illumination
image © wang ning

accompanied by a cup of fragrant coffee, people communicate with others, books and nature, creating a relaxing and comfortable reading environment with a slow rhythm.

the stairs connection the two floors follow the same aesthetics as the bookshelf
image © wang ning

in the second island area a small meeting room is found in the middle
image © wang ning 

with switchable glass walls, the user can decide the privacy of the meeting
image © wang ning 

view of the meeting room in opaque settings
image © wang ning 

view of the meeting room with transparent settings
image © wang ning 

green plants on the shelves fill up the space with vitality
image © wang ning 

herbs such as mint and pelargonium odoratissimum are placed in front of the windows and on the coffee tables
image © wang ning  

people feel peace while reading, with a coffee, next to the plants
image © wang ning 

the bookstore is located in a well-known street in beijing
image © wang ning 

project info:

architects: archstudio
location: beijing, china
architect in charge: han wen qiang
design team: yang bin lin, huang tao, li yun tao
area: 293.0 sqm
project year: 2015
photographs: wang ning

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom