Books upon books upon books — it’s every bibliophile’s dream. Most readers will agree that though our modern age offers us a lot of digitalized versions of our favorite books, the plain old-fashioned reading of getting lost between the pages of a printed book inside a bookstore is still a preferred experience.
In Asia, you will unravel some of the world’s renowned classic and contemporary architecture for a unique bookstore where you can learn, relax and excite your inner bookworm. Here are the most uniquely beautiful bookstores across Asia that you can visit.
Dujiangyan Zhongshuge / China
Step into a surreal reading space that emulates cathedral design. Located in Dujiangyan, Dujiangyan Zhongshuge has a rich history of conservancy development; you could see the construction of the dam seamlessly incorporated into the bookshelves in the main area.
The mirrored ceilings and gleaming black floor tiles give an illusion of never-ending palace because of their reflection, which is a well-known signature of Zhongshuge bookstore.
The intimate spaces brought by the C-shaped bookcases were inspired by the history and topography of the region. In the rest of the two-story space, the topmost shelves lining the winding walkways are enclosed in a decorative design, adding to the illusion of countless volumes and ensuring all 80,000 available titles are within a customer’s reach.
HIRAKATA T-SITE / Japan
Tsutaya is one of the biggest book and video chains in Japan and their stores are well– known for their aesthetic curation.
The Hirakata T-site stocks about 150,000 books and magazines, and also sells books custom-made to themes on each floor. With floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books, they highlight a distinctive fusion of lifestyle proposals as humanities, beauty, fashion, travel, and art.
The main characteristic of this bookstore is a wall of books with an open and spacious layout. The natural light shining through the glass walls provides a serene space that lead you to a world of books of each genre. The Hirakata T-Site complex is also worth exploring, with plenty of unique shops and cafes.
Starfield Library / Korea
Starfield Library is a massive two-story building encompassing elements of glass and light. Located at Starfield Coex Mall in the business district of Gangnam, Seoul, is Asia’s biggest underground shopping mall, Starfield Library is an open public interactive reading space where anyone can focus on reading, and engage with their fellow bookworm. With over 650,000 domestic and foreign books and magazines available for browsing, aesthetically organized in four specialized towering bookshelves, each standing a whopping 13 meters tall.
It has state-of-the-art space to simultaneously accommodate areas for reading, giving presentations, and holding conferences. Overall feel and atmosphere is smooth-flowing, serene and well lit, took out even more by the floor made of enamel tiles from Marca Corona’s Prestige range.
Sources:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/surreal-new-bookstore-opened-china
https://www.stirworld.com/see-features-dujiangyan-zhongshuge-bookstore-by-x-living-is-a-surreal-city-of-illusions
https://theflighter.com/dujiangyan-zhongshuge-magic-castle-bookstore-china/
https://witandfolly.co/hirakata-t-site-osaka/
https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/area/jp/spot/02301-1900514/
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