You might expect to be surrounded by a few paperbacks and hardcovers when you visit a bookstore, but the recently completed Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore in China takes this to a whole new level. Inspired by the city of Chongqing's rich literary history, the space makes use of tunnels and mirrors to offer its customers for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience.
According to firm X-Living, Chongqing was quite the draw for writers and calligraphers of ancient China, and its efforts in designing a new book store for the city might inspire a few more yet.
Occupying two levels of the city's Zodi's plaza, the shop features bookshelves shaped as lampshades that emanate warm, bright lights, quiet reading spaces with ceilings lined by bookshelves, and a tunnel where the bookshelves reflect on the floor that draw visitors "deeper into space and knowledge."
But the most impressive room is the huge main study, where criss-crossing staircases double as shelves and also ladders to access books, while a reflective ceiling creates a mirror image of the stunning space for those that look upward.
There is also a children's reading room with colorful bookshelves shaped to represent Chongqing's landscape, buildings and transport, and a cafe area for visitors to relax over a cup of coffee and take it all in.
Have a flick through the gallery to see the impressive Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore from all angles.
Source: X-Living
