After successfully completing its multi-use community centre in Shanghai, Wutopia Lab finalises its construction of the Zhongshu Bookstore in Szhou, China. The bookstore is divided into four main areas and several subdivided zones: the ‘Sanctuary of crystal’ for new arrivals, the ‘Cave of fireflies’ for recommendations, the ‘Xanadu of rainbows’ for reading room, and the ‘Castle of innocence’ for children books.
Wutopia lab‘s ‘Sanctuary of crystal’ is a book-filled space where the latest arrivals are arranged on the pre-fabricated transparent acrylic shelves, outstanding the presence of the books. Using glass bricks, mirrors and acrylic, the room is a shining white space, luring customers into the heart of the store. Following the transparency and lucidity of the ‘Sanctuary of crystal’ space, the cave of fireflies is a darker tunnel connecting the main hall and the entrance. Customers can choose books and follow the guide of optic fibres into the main reading area.
The ‘Xanadu of rainbows’ is an open space with large windows, allowing natural light to pour inside the room. Taking advantage of the different heights of shelves, steps, and tables, the architect creates an abstracted landscape of cliffs, valleys, islands, rapids, and oases. The thin perforated aluminum sheets in gradient colours simulate the appearance of rainbows installed in the bookstore. These one centimetre thin panels divide zones of different functions while bringing a mysterious and vague atmosphere to the space. At the very end of the ‘Xanadu of rainbows’, the space surrounded by white ETFE walls is the children books area. With the help of translucent ETFE, the castle of innocence is an inner world inside the bookstore. Many complex installments were added in the space, building a world where children can interact with each other and with the bookstore itself.
YAKETY YAK Furniture BLOG, mostly about cool libraries, furniture and design – keeping you abreast of our world. (Source: Designboom)
