08 Entry area 09 Leisure reading area 10 Children’s area 11 Bamboo forest reading area
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ZHONGSHUGE BOOKSTORE, CHENGDU Zhongshuge was designed with the desire to create the most beautiful bookstore for readers. The result is a magical forest of books which inspires reading, learning, and reflection. The store is located within the bustling Star Avenue commercial centre, Binjiang District, adjacent to the Qiantang River. Walking from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of the mall, you pass a wholly transparent glass curtain wall fully covered with books. Beyond these is a central atrium, a pure white space containing circular bamboo-shaped bookshelves which rise up straight to the sky. These are reflected in the ceiling mirror above and appear to be having a conversation beyond time as the tree-like bookshelf pillars tirelessly emit the light of knowledge to anyone who seeks it. The space is scattered with small reading tables shaped like bamboo shoots. The walls are also mirrored, which create an unbounded visual expanse of books. The architect’s vision is to remind readers that knowledge is as indispensable as oxygen from trees in our lives. Walking through the book forest, visitors come
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to a doorway which leads to the massive main hall of Zhongshuge. Here, the entire bookshelf extends endlessly to one side. The alternately dark and light coloured shelves are reminiscent of mountains, silently conveying the power of knowledge. Overhead, chandeliers glow softly like fireflies. Zhongshuge also features a children’s pavilion, which is designed as a book playground. Bookshelves are shaped like playground rides such as merry-go-round, roller coaster, hot air balloons, and pirate ships, so that children equate books and learning with fun and adventure. The floor features a giant map of our galaxy to inspire the imagination. The famous British novelist Somerset Maugham once said, to acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. Zhongshuge gives readers a space where they can retreat from the world and spend entire afternoons curled up with a book and a cup of tea to find some peace. www.xl-muse.com
08/09/2017 13:47