New York‘s beloved Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) arrives in Seoul with the opening of its first-ever bookstore. Residents and visitors in the Korean city will find the new space in the Dosan Park area of Gangnam, the fast-growing and now-iconic neighborhood south of the Han River.

The bookstore has been opened together with Hyundai Card — the credit card company under Seoul’s Hyundai Motor Group which has partnered with the New York museum for nearly twenty years.

Inside, a selection of over 1,100 volumes across more than 200 titles includes MoMA-published exhibition catalogues and books on art, design, and architecture. Beyond its books, the store displays a curated array of objects from the MoMA Design Store (meanwhile, the flagship Design Store in New York is set to reopen following renovations later this fall).

MoMA opens its first bookstore in Seoul’s Dosan Park district | images courtesy MoMA

design shop and bookstore rendered with contrasting interiors

From the sidewalk, Seoul’s new MoMA Bookstore shows a dramatic contrast between its austere facade and warm-toned interiors beyond. The corrugated white facade, softly illuminated at night, frames a large display window where bright shelving punctuates the orange and yellow spaces. With its graphic logic, the place reads as both retail and gallery, a hint at its design-minded selection.

Inside, the layout unfolds as a series of distinct zones. The main book hall is finished in pale grey with polished concrete floors and floating metal shelves. This way, the colorful covers of MoMA publications become the focal point. The design store in the next room brings a bold shift in atmosphere, where walls and floors rendered in glossy yellow and orange create an immersive glow around the curated objects and apparel.

The threshold between these two rooms is a sharp frame which exaggerates the transition from thoughtful browsing to vibrant retail.

more than 200 titles are displayed with MoMA publications and design objects

a vibrant yellow and orange retail space contrasts the calm, grey main hall

the sharply framed threshold between the two rooms exaggerates their contrasting atmospheres

the project reflects nearly twenty years of collaboration between Hyundai Card and MoMA

project info:

name: MoMA Bookstore Seoul

collaborator: Hyundai Card

address: 8-10 Dosan-daero 45-gil Gangnam District, Seoul South Korea

photography: courtesy Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

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The Xixi Goldmye Bookstore by Atelier Wen’Arch is located in the Xixi Wetlands of Hangzhou, China. The project transforms a 20-year-old U-shaped office building, originally closed-off and elevated above a water courtyard, into a layered and open space for reading and gathering.

Originally marked by a disordered structure and a disconnected relationship with its wetland surroundings, the building’s framework has been pared down to its bare concrete columns. Through a series of deliberate architectural interventions — introducing new structural systems, timber frameworks, and water-facing spaces — the project recasts the site into a sequence of spatial experiences celebrates the landscape.

images © Chen Hao

atelier wen’arch reframes a closed-off structure

Led by architect Shen Wen, the team at Atelier Wen’Arch begins the project with a disintegration of the bookstore’s existing roof and wall system. A suspended ceiling accommodates mechanical equipment, while a colonnade inserted along the west facade reorients the symmetrical composition into a more horizontal, flowing volume. A new pedestrian path of staggered concrete strips reclaims the vehicular driveway, creating a more nuanced and variable entrance sequence.

In alignment with the original structural grid, the architects introduced a double-beam timber system. These laminated pine beams intersect the concrete columns and extend outward in measured cantilevers, defining a rhythm of horizontal spaces. Between each timber pair runs lighting and air-conditioning return channels, integrating infrastructure into the structure’s material logic.

the bookstore is elevated to float gently over Hangzhou’s Xixi Wetland

Book Tower and Waterside Pavilion

Two spatial interventions by Atelier Wen’Arch create vertical connections between bookstore’s architecture and the surrounding nature. A Book Tower anchors the southwest corner, rising with stacked mezzanines that wrap in nested rings. The structure uses a concealed grid of steel I-beams flush with the timber floor to maintain visual and tactile coherence. At its top, the tower draws in light and views, while the interplay of human silhouettes and horizontal lines animates the space.

The southern pavilion, once a faceted glass volume, has been reshaped into a sunken waterside room with a sloped roof. A portion of the original floor was removed, allowing the pavilion to settle closer to the water’s edge. Zinc panels clad the roof, and a silver-painted ceiling reflects ambient light. Recessed seating opens the space toward the wetland, drawing nature into the interior through quiet shifts in material and level.

Atelier Wen’Arch reframes a U-shaped office into a light-filled cultural space

Filtering Light with Secondary Eaves

Drawing from Song Dynasty precedents, Atelier Wen’Arch designed suspended secondary eaves that reinterpret historical sun-shading elements. These eaves are hung from the timber beams by upward tension rods, with downward braces at the center. They serve dual functions: reflecting soft light into the reading rooms and narrowing visual perspectives to maintain intimacy and focus on the wetland.

The eaves, folding windows, and benches between columns build a field of architectural in-betweens, which is neither fully indoors nor entirely outside, mediating between the constructed and natural environments.

the original framework is pared down to columns and reorganized with timber beams

floating ‘book beams’

Six sets of structural bookshelves, or ‘book-beams,’ stretch up to six meters between columns. Developed with structural engineer Zhang Zhun, the shelves consist of horizontal glued-laminated timber interlaced with vertical stainless steel plates, forming torsion-resistant I-beams. Suspended by rods and anchored to the columns, they serve both as shelving and as lightweight spatial dividers.

These floating book-beams interweave with the primary timber system, building a subtle framework that merges structural clarity with spatial openness. Views extend through the shelves, framing books against a backdrop of water, vegetation, and light.

‘book beams’ span between columns and are backdropped by the scenic landscape

the sunken waterside pavilion uses sloped roofs and recessed seating to engage the wetland

a book tower rises at the corner with staggered mezzanines and filtered daylight

architecture and nature interlace to create a public bookstore for daily urban life

suspended eaves reinterpret traditional Chinese shading elements in a modern form

project info:

name: Xixi Goldmye Bookstore

architect: Atelier Wen’Arch 

location: North Gate of Xixi National Wetland Park, Hangzhou, China

built area: 880 square meters

completion: April 2025

photography: © Chen Hao | @chenhao.etsam

lead architect: Shen Wen | @swing_shen
design team: Shen Wen, Wang Weishi, Yi Shihao (on-site), Sun Huizhong
structural consultant: Zhang Zhun (AND Office)
lighting design: DLX Lighting Design
MEP, structural design: Shanghai Zunbang Architectural Design

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Beijing and Rotterdam-based architecture studio MAT Office takes to a rural community outside Chengdu to design a temporary bookstore dubbed the Pyramid Book House. The project’s site on the edge of Wanchun Town sees rows of agricultural fields yield to the city’s spreading suburbs. Standing within a greenbelt along Tuanjiequ Road, the book house settles into this setting, shaped by the rhythms of its context and a belief in quiet transformation. MAT Office brings a clear sensitivity to site, allowing architecture to emerge from what the place invites, rather than what a program demands.

The architecture adopts a composition of three steeply sloped geometries, each assigned a different purpose — reading, display, and leisure. These forms resemble simple pyramids, pitched high enough to catch sunlight through carefully positioned skylights. Each structure is linked by a transparent roof, forming a sheltered corridor that opens both visually and atmospherically to its surroundings. The project takes its name from these volumes, but the real architecture lies in the way they modulate light and define space

images © Arch-Exist

mat office draws from rural chinese vernacular

The Pyramid Book House by MAT Office uses humble, local materials in a deliberate expression of place. Wooden tiles line the exterior, creating a tactile surface that connects with the vernacular textures of the Chengdu Plain. Pine plywood defines both the walls and ceiling inside, where the same surfaces that support the structure also shape the spatial experience. The wood-framed structure reveals itself without disguise, allowing each joint and surface to participate in both the building’s appearance and its function.

The architects design with a focus on economy, and this constraint is handled as a design strategy rather than a compromise. Construction avoids complexity where simplicity will do. Columns and beams are expressed as straightforward wooden members, placed with care rather than ornament. The structural frame is exposed, but it doesn’t strive for austerity. Instead, it feels open and generous, defined by clarity rather than minimalism.

the Pyramid Book House by MAT Office is located in a greenbelt on the rural edge of Chengdu

a glowing lantern

MAT Office’s Pyramid Book House is part of a larger initiative that aims to embed reading spaces into the daily life of Chengdu’s outer communities. Here, the architecture acts as a gentle interrupter, a pause in the ordinary. Its small scale creates intimacy, while its form stands out just enough to arouse curiosity. Within weeks of completion, it became a gathering point. Locals stopped to peer inside, then lingered, then returned. A new ritual took hold — reading in the sunlight, and lounging on the grass.

As daylight fades, the building’s skylights dim and its interior lighting begins to glow. From the road, it looks like a warm flicker in the agricultural fields, a gentle presence offering something intangible. Though its footprint is small, its radiance extends. Architecture becomes hospitality, and the book house becomes a place where people stay longer than they planned.

its three pyramid-shaped volumes define spaces for reading display and leisure

wooden tiles and pine plywood reflect the traditional materials of the Chengdu Plain

the project emphasizes low-cost construction with exposed wooden structural elements

the building uses skylights and glass connectors to create a bright and open interior

it has become a social hub for both residents and visitors from nearby towns

though temporary, the Pyramid Book House encourages lasting cultural engagement

project info:

name: Pyramid Book House

architect: MAT Office | @matoffice.architects

location: Chengdu, China

area: 78 square meters

completion: 2023

photography: © Arch-Exist | @archexist

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Design studio LLLab. composes PAGEONE Vinyl Concept Bookstore’s exterior and interior configuration. Located in the northern section of Beijing’s Olympic Forest Park, PAGEONE POLPAS establishes a spatial relationship with the PAGEONE BeijingFun store along the city’s central axis, forming a north-south cultural connection. While PAGEONE BeijingFun reflects the dynamic street life of Beijing through varied spatial arrangements, PAGEONE POLPAS store functions as a quiet space within the park, offering an environment conducive to focus and reflection.

PAGEONE’s first Vinyl Concept Store integrates books and vinyl records as complementary mediums for documentation, preservation, and shared experience. The layout emphasizes a balance between visual and auditory elements, facilitating an interaction between printed material and music. The selection and arrangement of materials contribute to a cohesive atmosphere, with natural wood as the primary element, enhancing the tactile and visual qualities of the space.

flexible fixture for public events | all images by Wen Studio unless stated otherwise

layout by LLLab. balances enclosed and semi-open zones

The main display wall reinterprets the double-height space as a ‘vinyl concert hall,’ integrating designated areas for reading, coffee, events, and children’s activities. LLLab. studio’s design prioritizes accessibility, ensuring that books and records remain within reach. Spaces are structured as retreats, providing an environment that supports engagement with reading and music while maintaining a connection to the surrounding natural setting.

Rather than focusing on display, the spatial organization emphasizes usability, with reading and listening areas designed as enclosed or semi-open zones that support concentration and interaction with the curated selection of media. Through this approach, PAGEONE POLPAS establishes itself as a space that merges literature, music, and design within the park’s landscape.

open event space connecting to the street

vinyl event space

long and narrow floating passage space

elongated reading space

open event space

books and records behind staircase

space shapes corners and steps

repeating rhythm in reading space | image byArch-Exist Photography

sculptural staircase

sculptural staircase

timber cladding

floating reading passage

main entrance opens to the public plaza

project info:

name: PAGEONE Vinyl Concept Bookstore
architect: LLLab. | @lllab._architects

lead architect: Fei Chen

design team: Fei Chen, Hanxiao Liu, Ziyu Wei, Yujun Yan, Lingkng Yin, Lingling Liu, Lexian Hu, Chao Zuo

structural design: LuanLu Structural Consultant
construction area: 400 sqm

location: POLPAS, Olympic Park, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

photographer: Wen Studio | @wen_studio2020, Arch-Exist | @archexist

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: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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Wuto-mills, a Wutopia Lab sub-brand, reimagines the former Zisha Second Factory site as Ceramic Pages, a pottery-themed bookstore. Designed in collaboration with Duoyun Bookstore, the project comes to join the UCCA Clay Museum by Kengo Kuma at the Yixing Creative & Cultural Ceramic Avenue (CCCA) in Dingshu Town, China.

Encompassing 2,087 square meters, Ceramic Pages intertwines architectural storytelling with the artistry of ceramics, reflecting the client’s philosophy that ‘making pots is like being a man.’ Conceived under the guidance of chief architect Yu Ting, Ceramic Pages narrates the journey of crafting purple clay teapots, using architecture to symbolize the three transformative stages of the process: clay preparation, kiln firing, and completion.

Ceramic Pages comes to join the UCCA Clay Museum by Kengo Kuma | all images by CreatAR Images

all levels of Ceramic Pages reflect stages of pottery making

The Wuto-mills team of Wutopia Lab organizes the layout across three distinct levels, each representing a phase in pottery-making and personal growth. The ground floor, dedicated to clay preparation and shaping, evokes the beginnings of life and craft. Divided into areas for preparation, tenderizing, and shaping, the earthy-yellow interiors transition from dark to light, capturing the transformation from raw material to embryonic form. Custom bookshelves mimic this evolution, symbolizing the journey from innocence to maturity.

A striking ‘spout’ connects all three floors, introducing skylight and metaphorically tying the narrative together. On the first floor, a fiery café and shop immerse visitors in the kiln firing stage. Vibrant red and blue elements paired with a cavernous layout simulate the intense heat of the kiln, conveying themes of self-improvement and perseverance. The seating in the café subtly mirrors the architectural language of Kengo Kuma’s UCCA Clay Museum, drawing visual parallels to its organic forms and materiality. The adjoining outdoor terrace, with its bold red staircase and sun-patterned floor, extends the drama, offering views of the UCCA Clay Museum and encouraging communal engagement.

a terrace of flames links the indoor and outdoor narratives

a terrace of flames tops the ceramic-paneled facade

The third floor represents completion, likened to a finished teapot. Here, visitors encounter a serene ‘water wonderland’ with ripple-effect flooring, ceilings, and display racks. Luminous ceiling panels suggest an ethereal connection between sky and water, emphasizing the tranquility of a perfected craft. This gallery space displays exquisite pottery while symbolizing life’s ultimate sublimation, encapsulating Wuto-Mills’ ethos of ‘architecture is action.’ Unlike Wutopia Lab’s focus on experimental prototype research, Wuto-Mills employs mature design patterns and magical realism to solve practical problems, actively intervening in public and commercial spaces with an aesthetic that transcends the boundaries of urbanism, architecture, and art.

The facade of the building features ceramic hanging panels, echoing the cultural significance of the material. Glass Reinforced Gypsum (GRG), colored micro-cement, and perforated aluminum panels complement the thematic journey inside the project. A terrace of flames beneath the ceramic facade links the indoor and outdoor narratives, visually connecting Ceramic Pages with its cultural context.

Ceramic Pages is a ceramic-themed bookstore designed by Wuto-mills by Wutopia Lab

the project reimagines the former Zisha Second Factory site as a vibrant hub of contemporary ceramic culture

the earthy-yellow interiors transition from dark to light

encompassing 2,087 square meters, Ceramic Pages intertwines architectural storytelling with ceramics

the seating in the café subtly mirrors the architectural language of Kengo Kuma’s UCCA Clay Museum

vibrant red and blue elements complete the interior

reflecting the client’s philosophy that ‘making pots is like being a man.’

here, visitors encounter a serene ‘water wonderland’ with ripple-effect flooring

luminous ceiling panels suggest an ethereal connection between sky and water

Ceramic Pages narrates the journey of crafting purple clay teapots

project info:

name: Ceramic Pages in the Pot

architect: Wuto-mills by Wutopia Lab | @wutopia.lab

location: Dingshu Town, Yixing, Jiangsu, China

area: 2,087 square meters

chief architect: Yu Ting

project architect: Mu Zhilin

design team: Fang Xiaobin, Dai Ruoyu

lighting consultant: Chloe Zhang, Cai Mingjie, Wei Shiyu

construction drawing design: Jiangsu Wan’an Architectural Survey and Design Co., Ltd.

construction firm: Guangdong Yuda Construction Group Co., Ltd.

client: Yixing Taodu Asset Management Co., Ltd.

photography: CreatAR Images | @creatarimages

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Architectural design firm X+living unveils the Tianjin Zhongshuge bookstore in China, housing a three-story structure made out of bricks and ironwork. From the facade to the interior layout, every detail—down to the bookshelves—incorporates these two materials. Approximately 400,000 custom-designed bricks are used throughout the bookstore, each crafted to meet specific spatial and functional requirements. Bookshelves, seating areas, and steps become one with the structure, with trapezoidal brick shapes ensuring smooth transitions between different elements. Li Xiang, lead architect at X+living, uses a unique cutting technique to create gaps in the brickwork, allowing the building to breathe. Arched doorways rise in tiers like waves, reflecting the spread of knowledge, while the progressive steps within the bookstore metaphorically represent humanity’s pursuit of truth. As visitors ascend these steps, their journey through books becomes both a physical and spiritual ascent.

‘The design aims to blur the physical boundaries of the architecture, suggesting that the boundaries of knowledge and cognition are vague, yet the spiritual core is clear and resolute. Just as the bookstore’s hybrid nature of commerce and culture dissolves the boundary between profit-oriented operations and public-spirited sharing. It appeals to an openness and accessibility to the public. The boundary does not represent rigidity; on the contrary, I believe it is filled with exploration and contention. While it proclaims a definition, it also leaves room for gaps, inviting conflict and challenge to occur.’  shares Li Xiang.

all images courtesy of X+living

bricks in Tianjin Zhongshuge reinterpret classic architecture

Surrounded by a century-old cluster of Italian red brick buildings, Tianjin Zhongshuge draws on the historical and cultural significance of the material, which is rooted in Italian and Chinese architectural traditions. In this project, Shanghai-based X+living uses red brick as a structural element and a symbol of craftsmanship, with each brick carved and stacked to reflect a sense of heritage. The use of these materials encourages a reflective pace, reminiscent of the slow, contemplative process of reading, inviting visitors to pause and engage with the space. 

Inspired by the structure of blinds, where light filters through slats to create interwoven patterns of light and shadow, the designer integrates this concept into the bookstore’s architecture. The dense brick walls are strategically cut, introducing gaps that lighten the material’s visual weight and create a dynamic interplay between solid and void, enhancing transparency and movement within the space. This cutting logic represents an innovative reinterpretation of classical architectural forms. The design also incorporates a deep blue steel plate that runs through the building’s core, and its undulating, wave-like form symbolizes the city’s maritime spirit, where rivers converge and knowledge flows. Arched doorways rise in tiers like waves, reflecting the spread of knowledge, while the progressive steps within the bookstore metaphorically represent humanity’s pursuit of truth. As visitors ascend these steps, their journey through books becomes both a physical and spiritual ascent.

Architectural design firm X+living unveils the Tianjin Zhongshuge bookstore in China,

a three-story structure made out of bricks and ironwork

every detail—down to the bookshelves—incorporates bricks and still

approximately 400,000 custom-designed bricks are used throughout the bookstore

progressive steps within the bookstore metaphorically represent humanity’s pursuit of truth

arched doorways rise in tiers like waves

trapezoidal brick shapes ensure smooth transitions between different elements

Li Xiang uses a unique cutting technique to create gaps in the brickwork

each brick is crafted to meet specific spatial and functional requirements

project info:

name: Tianjin Zhongshuge
architect: X+Living | @xlivingart
lead architect: Li Xiang

location: Tianjin, China

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: thomai tsimpou | designboom

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Beijing-based studio Trace Architecture Office (TAO) has completed the Nujiang Grand Canyon Bookstore in China‘s Nujiang Prefecture, commissioned by Librairie Avant-Garde. Designed as a pair of angular concrete volumes, the bookstore is located atop the Gaoligong Mountains, overlooking the Nujiang River, the last free-flowing river in China without dams. It sits at a vantage point that faces the sacred mountains of the Lisu and Bai ethnic groups. In 2021, TAO was invited to design three new stores in Nujiang Prefecture as part of Librairie Avant-Garde’s efforts to expand into the region. This bookstore is located in Lushui, the capital city of Nujiang Prefecture which is embraced by the Biluo and Gaoligong Mountains and serves as a gateway to the Nujiang Canyon.

images © AOGVISION

tao draws from the cultural context

The design team at Trace Architecture Office (TAO) sites its Nujiang Grand Canyon Bookstore along the entrance of Yangpo Village, a Lisu settlement perched on the Gaoligong ridge. The Lisu people, who migrated to northwestern Yunnan in the mid-16th century, have a deep cultural connection to the region. The distinctive tools of the Lisu, such as crossbows and arrows, inspired the design of the project, symbolizing their adaptation to the challenging terrain.

The bookstore’s location at the edge of the village, facing the canyon, naturally positions it as a boundary between civilization and nature. Originally an unfinished viewing platform, the site provides panoramic views of the canyon, influencing the architects’ concept of a forward-extending structure. The building’s suspended design allows readers to be immersed in sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, creating the sensation of walking among the clouds.

TAO has completed the nujiang grand canyon bookstore in Nujiang Prefecture, China

angular volumes mirror and frame the landscape

TAO’s design approach addresses the challenge of creating a contemporary architectural landmark that also resonates with the environment surrounding the Nujiang Grand Canyon Bookstore. Yangpo Village, with its sloped-roof dwellings and organic development along the mountain ridge, provided the architects with both a natural and cultural context to respond to. The bookstore adopts a modern design language while referencing the village’s traditional forms, becoming a bridge between past and present.

The building’s geometry is characterized by slanted forms that mirror the steep slopes of the Gaoligong Mountains. Its dynamic shape, resembling an arrow on a bowstring, reflects the Lisu cultural totem of crossbows. Multiple openings in the exterior walls are positioned to capture specific views of the canyon, connecting the building with its surrounding landscape.

the bookstore overlooks the Nujiang River and sacred mountains of China’s Lisu and Bai ethnic groups

The bookstore consists of three levels, each offering distinct spatial experiences. Visitors begin their journey at the top level, where a lofty café with a sloping roof creates a serene atmosphere. The mid-level houses the bookstore, with its heavy concrete walls providing a sense of protection from the outside environment. At the lowest level, a theater space is illuminated by skylights, creating a tranquil setting for performances and gatherings.

A key feature of the theater is a pair of six meter (twenty foot)-tall camphor-wood doors that open and close once a day, inviting visitors to connect with both the natural world and the literary arts. The external circulation of the building mirrors the canyon’s topography, leading visitors from a narrow entry space to the openness of the canyon view. The building’s public terraces are permanently open, creating a communal space for villagers and visitors alike.

it is located at the entrance of Yangpo Village, a historic Lisu settlement on the Gaoligong Ridge

the design is inspired by the Lisu cultural symbol of the crossbow, reflecting adaptation to the harsh terrain

the building’s forward-extending, suspended structure offers panoramic views of the canyon and mountains

a slanted design mirrors the mountain slopes, with multiple openings framing the landscape

the interior features a café, bookstore, and theatre, with distinct spatial experiences on each level

project info:

project title: Nujiang Grand Canyon Bookstore of Librairie Avant-Garde

architecture: Trace Architecture Office (TAO) | @taoarchitects

location: Lushui, Nujiang, Yunnan, China

floor area: 637 square meters
construction: september 2024

photography: © AOGVISION | @aogvision

client: Librairie Avant-Garde, Lushui Culture and Tourism Bureau

lead architect: Hua Li | TAO (Trace Architecture Office)

design team: Hua Li, Zhang Peng, Liu Zhaorui, Zhang Yuheng, Tam Yue, Zhou Chenyue, Sun Wenhao, Wang Jiahao

structural engineer: Ma Zhigang, Zhao Xiaolei

MEP engineer: LV Jianjun and Kcalin design group MEP engineer: Sun Jing, Li Xin

construction team: Construction General Contractor — Lushui Construction Development Investment Co., Ltd.; Concrete Restoration – Fan Shuming, Zhu Feifei; Interior Construction Contractor – Wei Xiaogang, Liang Jigang, Tang Zhigang, Fu Kunhua, Meng Chunmei, Li Shibin

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The Weishan Chongzheng Academy Bookstore of Librairie Avant-Garde, located in Yunnan Province’s Weishan Ancient Town, is an expansive intervention by Trace Architecture Office (TAO). Weishan, with its history of over 600 years, has a preserved urban layout dating back to China‘s Ming and Qing dynasties. Built during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzheng Academy has a rich history spanning over 500 years.

Invited by the local government and Librairie Avant-Garde, TAO took on the task of repairing and renovating this historic academy in 2021, and has transformed it into a multipurpose bookstore that also serves as an exhibition space, small theater, and café. The design revives the academy’s former prosperity and vitality, creating a new lifestyle destination that encourages public participation and contributes to the revival of the old town.

images © Arch-Exist

tao learns from the urban fabric of weishan

With the unveiling of its bookstore intervention, the architects at TAO note that Chongzheng Academy has long held a special place in the hearts of locals, many of whom spent their childhoods around its colossal 330-year-old Banyan tree. The site also includes a relatively newer, abandoned iron factory building from the 1960s, which is well-preserved. Situated between the ancient town and the new town, the location offers convenient transportation and comprehensive surrounding facilities, making it an ideal spot to introduce new business forms and activate the area.

TAO’s design aims to create a vibrant urban community by introducing diversified spaces such as cultural innovation centers, cafés, bars, public art installations, and open markets. The team maintains and revitalizes the key elements of the site: Chongzheng Academy, the iron factory, and the ancient tree. A new tree pond and an outdoor sunken courtyard are created to enhance interaction between people and the tree.

The city square, with the Banyan tree as its visual center, connects the east and west sides of the streets, encouraging public activities and providing diverse outdoor urban life options. The continuously folded sloping roof of the new structures grows from the original factory roof, extending the urban texture and architectural image of Weishan ancient town while meeting the spatial needs of both traditional and new business formats.

Weishan Chongzheng Academy Bookstore, in Weishan Ancient Town, has a history spanning over 600 years

the contemporary bookstore intervention

According to TAO, Chongzheng Academy and Librairie Avant-Garde are united by their commitment to books, as the academy once held the largest collection of books in the region, while the Librairie Avant-Garde bookstore aims to continue this tradition.

Two floating Book Galleries are introduced along the east-west axis to connect the academy’s functional areas, creating rhythmic transitions between internal and external spaces. An outdoor theater and recreation courtyard, enclosed by grandstands and trees, provide spaces for reading, communication, and cultural activities. The new addition on the easternmost side features an interactive book display window facing the city streets, presenting a dynamic cultural and spiritual outlook for the academy.

The Book Gallery is designed to celebrate books, with two 29 meter (95 foot)-long steel-framed corridors on either side of the central courtyard. These galleries enhance the sense of perspective and depth, creating a ‘spiritual tunnel’ for visitors. The stepped volume at the outer side of the Book Gallery serves as cultural and creative exhibition stands and grandstands for the courtyard. The outdoor theater, defined by the grandstands, provides a space for cultural activities and offers unique views of the academy.

Trace Architecture Office (TAO) transforms the 500-year-old building into a bookstore and cultural space

The new addition on the easternmost side of the academy is both the end of the spatial sequence and the beginning of the connection to the city. This addition establishes an extroverted space that showcases and attracts tourists. The space is divided into upper and lower parts, with an indoor theater on the upper level and a semi-sunken display area for books on the lower level. The glass facades of the sunken area allow for visual interaction between the building and the city, drawing attention to the bookstore’s vibrant interior.

The addition employs a ‘pavilion within a pavilion’ design concept, with an inner pavilion for the theater and an external pavilion with a traditional herringbone pitched roof. This dual form creates unique in-between spaces and enriches the visual relationship and spatial tension inside the building. The floating gabbled roof, supported by wood-grained concrete walls and steel beams, harmonizes with the architectural style of the historic building.

the design introduces diversified spaces, such as cafés, bars, and public art installations
TAO preserves the original historical walls and wooden structures while integrating modern elements

two steel-framed book corridors enhance perspective and depth, creating a unique ‘spiritual tunnel’ for visitors

an interactive book display window connects the building with the city streets

an outdoor theater, enclosed by grandstands and trees, offers spaces for reading and cultural activities

project info:

project title: Weishan Chongzheng Academy Bookstore of Librairie Avant-Garde

architecture: Trace Architecture Office (TAO) | @taoarchitects

location: Weishan, Dali, Yunnan Province, China

program: bookstore, exhibition, visitor center 

floor area: 1,384 square meters

completion: December 2023

photography: © Arch-Exist | @archexist

client: Librairie Avant-Garde, Weishan Culture and Tourism Bureau

principal architect: Hua Li, TAO (Trace Architecture Office)

design team: Hua Li, Zhong Sheng, Zhang Peng, Wang Langhuan, Zhang Weili, He Yuanxi, Yang Huiru
structural engineer: Ma Zhigang, Zhao Xiaolei, Liao Yubiao, Ma Yujie

MEP engineer: LV Jianjun and Kcalin design group, Sun Jing, Li Xin

construction team: Yunnan Xizhou Construction and Engineering Co., Ltd., Weishan Hongji Construction and Installation Co., Ltd.

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Following December’s opening of Saint Laurent‘s largest flagship in Paris, creative director Anthony Vaccarello celebrates a new chapter for the beloved French luxury fashion house with its Babylone bookstore. Intersecting fashion, art, and design, Babylone is a cultural destination which can be discovered along the historic streets of the capital city’s 7th arrondissement. From the sidewalk, the space is fronted by a sleek black facade and oversized windows, hinting at the curated experience within. Once inside, the interiors unfold with a palette of raw and refined materials. Marble tables gleam before rusticated walls of exposed stone, while vintage furniture mingles with contemporary design pieces.

images © Saint Laurent

saint laurent curates books, vinyls & vintage design objects

Beyond its austere and textural interiors, the spirit of Paris’ new bookstore Saint Laurent Babylone is its carefully curated collection. The bookshelves themselves are designed by architect and set designer Pierre Yovanovitch, and host a thoughtfully chosen selection of art, design, fashion, and photography books alongside rare first editions and literary classics. Vinyl records, each handpicked by Vaccarello, line the walls, offering a sonic journey that complements the visual feast. Scattered throughout are Saint Laurent Rive Droite‘s own publications.

Saint Laurent Babylone is a meeting of art, fashion, and literature in Paris

the curated gallery and event hub

Saint Laurent Babylone transcends the traditional bookstore experience as the space hosting a diverse program of events. These range from author readings and signings to DJ sets and art exhibitions, inviting visitors to engage with diverse creative voices. In line with Vaccarello’s vision, the space fosters a sense of community where established artists and emerging talents can connect and inspire each other. As one might expect from Saint Laurent, fashion plays a subtle yet significant role in the Babylone experience as a dedicated section showcases a selection of the brand’s Rive Droite lifestyle products can be discovered amongst the selection.

curated shelves are stacked with art books, design objects, and vinyls handpicked by Anthony Vaccarello
the contemporary interiors are interspersed with vintage furnishings
sleek marble tables contrast with rusticated walls of exposed stone

beyond the bookstore, Babylone will host author readings, DJ sets, and art exhibitions

project info:

project title: Babylone

design: Anthony Vaccarello

location: 9 Rue de Grenelle, Paris, France

hours: Wednesday through Saturday 11am-7pm, and Sundays 12pm–7pm

photography: © Saint Laurent

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Tucked away in Venice’s Saint Mark’s Square, the Bookstore of The Human Safety Net Foundation by Migliore+Servetto sits at the intervention of work, dialogue, discovery, and community experience. Housed within the historical building of Procuratie Vecchie, the compact 14 square meter space reveals a warm interior, an exhibition titled A World of Potential, a multimedia experience, and welcoming areas throughout. The intervention preserves and refreshes historic spatial features including windows and flooring while new furniture and subtle design elements were introduced to inject modernity and reinforce The Human Net’s brand identity. Inclusivity and accessibility were additionally key pillars for the design team, influencing even the design of the open-shelved bookcase serving as the storefront display visible to all passersby.

all images courtesy of Milgiore+Servetto

a multimedia community experience in saint mark’s square

Externally, the foundation’s name and logo are marked in new signage and graphics on the entry door and mezzanine window, subtly connecting this intimate space to The Human Safety Net’s broader presence on the third floor. Within, embracing the space along the walls, a series of red, steel bookshelves form a modular display system with integrated light featuring different dimensions and angulations. Each insert is mobile and interchangeable to ensure maximum flexibility, with the shelves converging to form a 90° angle and host the sales counter. The central aisle and window display case complete the furniture ensemble, their lightness and flexibility echoing the foundation’s identity to provide an unambiguous homogeneity to the space.

Migliore+Servetto’s intervention involved the replacement of existing furniture, false walls, and suspended ceilings, while historic elements such as the original Venetian flooring, windows, and shutters were preserved and renovated. Light grey plasterboard now forms the suspended ceilings and false walls, complemented by a natural stone band countering potential high-water impacts as it spans the whole perimeter. For the lighting design, the Italian designers opted for Targetti spotlights which offer flexible planes of light to create different accents for different display by running along ceiling-recessed tracks. A restored door opens onto Corte Maruzzi, flanked by and a luminous wall and a vertical monitor that adds digital dimensions to the space, facilitating broader communication and narratives.

project info:

name: Bookstore of The Human Safety Net Foundation
designer: Migliore+Servetto Architects

location: Procuratie Vecchie, Saint Mark’s Square, Venice

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: ravail khan | designboom

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