atelier archmixing designs a two-in-one bookstore with diverse ambiances in shanghai

under a narrow canopy in shanghai, archmixing has designed two doors as one element, just like a butterfly with a pair of wings. the two doors guide the visitors into two bookstores with different function and atmosphere. like the dual entry, the two bookstores are also nested in one 94 sq m space. one of the two unfolds books based on literature, history and philosophy in zigzag deep corridors like a library, while the other one for general book-lovers has been sculpted as a relaxed and charming reading hall. here, readers with different aims encounter with each other.

the bookstore is integrated into the ordinary surroundings

chinese based atelier archmixing‘s ‘yueyue/zhida bookstore’ project is located at no. 525 guoquan road. this area used to be well-known for being a place with lots of literature bookstores. with the rise of online bookstores, most bookstores on this road disappeared, just like the rest of them. in recent years, however, there has been a new trend to build bookstores, and mostly in the mode of ‘bookstore +’. the consumption upgrade and the rise of lifestyle aesthetics in the city is the main motivator behind this drift. in such an ordinary urban block as guoquan road, is it still possible to create a bookstore that is simple but with personality in both function and details?

one element with two doors for two bookstores

two bookstores zou bin and luo hong run a successful online bookstore together. besides online store, they have been operating this bookstore on guoquan road for more than 10 years. because of the market change as mentioned above, this bookstore has been under greater and greater pressure. before renovation, it mainly sold supplementary books for students. the space had a limited height and a limited area; the plan had a cramped outline; even worse, the kitchen upstairs was always leaking. this couple client both agreed to update and upgrade the store, but they had different ideas on the identity of the bookstore. zou wouldn’t give up his interest in liberal arts, he wanted to run a bookstore focusing on literature, history and philosophy. while luo was more pragmatic: considering the trend of the market, she would prefer to have a general bookstore, that could also hold activities such as offline meeting area, parent-child activities, and so forth.

different atmosphere connected at the entrance

archmixing thus proposed: why don’t we build two bookstores? the general bookstore requires a larger internal space to accommodate activities, while a bookstore for liberal arts could run in a narrow space like the library stacks. the way to organize and mix these two functions is the key.

a study corner with sunshine

for the bookcase, considering the flexibility of layout and disassembly, a standardized customized steel bracket was designed as its structure. different color of black and white was adopted in the two bookstores according to their different identity. each of the two doors weighs more than 300 kg. in order to make it work, archmixing worked together with professional engineers and workers and studied the details of the door carefully. the two doors were installed and connected with one vertical steel shaft, forming a page-like relationship, so that you can open the two doors simultaneously. at the same time, the door shaft was designed with multi-layer bearings that were nested with each other, to avoid the deformation of the steel shaft, which might cause the doors unable to open smoothly.

one of the two unfolds books based on literature, history and philosophy in zigzag deep corridors

a bookstore is a place for books, knowledge and ideas. to design archmixing’s ‘yueyue/zhida bookstore’ is to create a space for good books and book-lovers in shanghai. all strategies and details were developed to serve this purpose.

the bookstore for liberal arts — dark and sedate

different readers meet and the dual entry and reception room at the end

the general bookstore can hold activities such as meetings and parent-child activities

narrow corridor enlarged with the reflection of stainless steel in the general bookstore

to design the ‘yueyue/zhida bookstore’ is to create a space for good books and book-lovers in shanghai

the featuring checkstand located at the entry point of the bookstore

two doors as one, like butterfly wings

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edited by: apostolos costarangos | designboom