Zhongshuge: A Bookstore That Echoes Nature's Wisdom

Xiang Li's Award-Winning Design Transforms a Bookstore into a Cultural Landscape

The Zhongshuge bookstore, a project by Xiang Li, is a unique architectural marvel that draws inspiration from the city it resides in - Dujiangyan. Known for its long history of water conservancy projects, the city's unique culture and landscape are beautifully integrated into the bookstore's design. The result is a dialogue between culture and wisdom, reflected in the bookstore's structure and ambiance.

The design's unique properties lie in its ability to move elements of the city into the bookstore, transforming them into practical functions. The bamboo forest in the kids reading area and the Dujiangyan dam in the literature area are examples of this. The bookstore's design presents visitors with an elegant and powerful artistic landscape, a testament to the designer's ability to create scenery using architectural techniques.

The realization of this design involved innovative architectural techniques and a keen eye for detail. The bookshelves in the literature area, for instance, are inspired by the magnificent Dujiangyan dam and spread upwards, visually expanding spatial ductility and creating an open and high feeling. The book tables, designed in the shapes of boats, seem to be quietly mooring on the lake, floating between the bookshelf wall. The bookstore can display over 80,000 books covering 20,000 kinds, a testament to its functional design.

The project, which covers a floor area of 973 sqm, was completed in September 2020. The design process involved extensive research into the local landscape, with the aim of moving the spirit of local mountains and rivers into the indoor space. The result is an abstract and artistic landscape that not only impresses visitors but also touches them with its spiritual expression.

One of the main challenges faced by the design team was translating the local landscape elements of Dujiangyan into a bookstore design that provides an amazing customer experience while ensuring the practical functionality required by a bookstore. The successful realization of this project, as evidenced by the Golden A' Design Award it received, is a testament to the team's ability to overcome these challenges.

The Zhongshuge bookstore is a perfect example of how design can be used to create a dialogue between culture and wisdom. It is a testament to the designer's ability to draw inspiration from the local landscape and transform it into a practical and functional design. This project is not just a bookstore, but a cultural landscape that reflects the city's historical significance and natural beauty.