The Science Cafe & Library by Anna Wigandt August 26, 2015 – Posted in: books in design, Content, Interior Design, Libraries

Here’s a great way to attract people to the wonders of science – build a beautiful cafe and library designed to foster the study and exploration of the sciences. Unfortunately, the odds are most of us will never get a chance to experience this amazing interior designed by Anna Wigandt. You see, the Science Cafe & Library is located in Chişinău, Moldova! The intent was to appeal less to the chaotic and emotional experience of a…

Next up for coolest bookshop on the planet: Bucharest, Romania February 18, 2015 – Posted in: bookshops, Interior Design

The latest jaw-dropping bookshop to grace the planet is Cărtureşti Carusel (The Carousel of Light). Opened by the Romanian bookshop chain Carturesti this concept store occupies a newly renovated 19th century architectural gem located in the heart of Bucharest. The 6 majestic floors will house books, music and DVD’s, a cafe, a multimedia event space and an art gallery. Cărtureşti Carusel facebook page New Magical Bookstore Opens Its Doors In Romania bored panda Previously on Book Patrol: Model Bookshop: The new Shonan…

Model Bookshop: The new Shonan T-Site bookstore sets the stage for the 21st century January 21, 2015 – Posted in: Bookselling / Collecting, bookshops, Content, Interior Design

Recently I mused about the benefits of putting a bookstore in every mall and wouldn’t you know Japan’s leading entertainment retailer Tsutaya has just hit it out of the park with the opening of their latest store Shonan T-Site, located 30 miles outside of Tokyo. Tsutaya returned to architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham to help create their second retail outlet. Their first venture together, the Daikanyama project, won numerous awards including World’s Best Shopping Center at the World Architecture Festival and the 2013 Grand Prize at Design…

The Ark Booktower December 23, 2014 – Posted in: Books and Art, Conceptual Art, Exhibits, Installation, Interior Design

For the 1:1 – Architects Build Small Spaces exhibition in 2010 the Victoria & Albert Museum invited nineteen architects to submit proposals for structures that examine notions of refuge and retreat. From these nineteen, seven were selected for construction at full-scale and lucky for us one of them was The Ark Booktower by Rintala Eggertsson architects. 6,000 books fill the space and there is a reading space at the core of the 3-story tower. All the spines face…

Change has come to the library: Four architects imagine the Obama presidential library November 22, 2014 – Posted in: books in design, Content, Interior Design, Libraries, Library Architecture

Sketch by Richard Dattner of a potential Obama Presidential Library. As President Barack Obama’s tenure winds down and we mourn the lack of promised change that was to come to America perhaps it is time to look ahead to the future presidential library to be built in his honor. Enter the folks at Guardian US Opinion. They asked four award-winning, firm-founding architects “to sketch and describe their unofficial visions for a possible Obama Presidential Library.…