Check out these innovative ways designers have stored books, from bookshelf staircases to a huge concrete case that spans the wall of a Mexico City home.
Instinct Furniture BLOG, mostly about cool libraries, furniture and design – keeping you abreast of our world. (Source: Dezeen Magazine).
Barn conversion, Belgium, by Studio Farris Architects. A Jenga-like structure in Studio Farris Architects' barn renovation forms a staircase with an integrated workspace. Its overhanging treads form shelving and cupboards for the client's books.
Bloom by Raw Edges. London design duo Raw Edges' bookcase has a wooden frame that resembles a weaving loom. It allows books to be slotted over red threads and held at varying heights by sliding stoppers.
Bookshelf House, France, by Andrea Mosca. Architect Andrea Mosca added stepped bookcases to help divide and characterise this Parisian house for a client who was enamoured with a friend's room-length bookshelf.
Home Cafe, China, by Penda. A modular system made from steel forms the partitions of this cafe in Beijing by Penda, populated by wooden boxes designed to store books and display plants.
Liyuan Library, China, by Li Xiaodong. This small, single-storey library in Liyuan houses its book collection within its chunky timber framework, including a stepped platform with integrated shelves that double as seating for readers.
Muswell Hill home, UK, by Tamir Addadi Architecture. Tamir Addadi Architecture introduced a staircase into this London home, with a balustrade where books can be displayed within compartments made from shelving rails fixed between wooden panels.
Osaka office, Japan, by Nikken Space Design. Nikken Sekkei's self-designed office in Osaka features a bleacher-inspired bookcase at its centre. The shelving faces floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline, encouraging workers to sit and read.
Pedro Reyes' House, Mexico, by Pedro Reyes. Spanning one wall of the lounge in sculptor Pedro Reyes' Mexico City home is a huge double-height bookcase made from concrete slabs, with a gallery space accessed by cantilevered steps.
Silvia Allori's House, Italy, by Silvia Allori. Pegs slot into holes in the walls of Silvia Allori's self-designed apartment in Florence, forming customisable bookshelves. A further bookcase is hidden behind a fold-down panel that opens to form a desk.
The Plywood Trio Apartment, Spain, by Buj+Colón Arquitectos. When redesigning an apartment in Madrid, Buj+Colón Arquitectos added a plywood staircase with built-in cupboards below each tread for the client to store books and magazines.
