Published : 2024-07-23
Zhongshuge Bookstore (鍾書閣), hailed as one of the "Top Ten Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World", has branches across various provinces and cities in China, such as Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, etc.
Its design incorporates local elements, making each Zhongshuge Bookstore in each city unique and distinctive.
So, how beautiful and unique are the Zhongshuge Bookstores in each city? Let's take a look below.
Zhongshuge Shenzhen's "spiral staircase"
Firstly, let's visit the nearest Zhongshuge in Shenzhen. Located in Overseas Chinese Town Happy Harbor, the Shenzhen Zhongshuge covers an area of about 1,300 square meters.
Its highlight is the huge dark red spiral staircase bookshelf that connects the entrance and exit.
As the designer explained, the giant spiral bookshelf in Zhongshuge Shenzhen was inspired by Shenzhen's history as a city of immigrants.
The spiral bookshelf is like a huge dial, combined with clock-like handrails, it gathers time and experiences, forming a "Staircase of History" that tells the story of Shenzhen.
It implies that although Shenzhen's development has been short, only 40 years, it fulfills a small part of the timeline, yet it has achieved eye-catching success.
Read more: "China's Most Beautiful Bookstore" Zhongshuge lands in Shenzhen
Zhongshuge Yangzhou's "mirror in the water"
"Time" is the design concept of Zhongshuge Shenzhen, then the design concept of Zhongshuge Yangzhou is derived from "water".
"Water" is an important element in cultivating Yangzhou's culture. Therefore, the designers simulated the flow and direction of water through curved and arched walls, and used black mirror glass as the floor material, creating a feeling of a "mirror in the water".
If the walls and floors of Yangzhou Zhongshuge are like winding "rivers", then the bookshelves on both sides are like arch bridges, which are also uniquely Yangzhou.
Its design was inspired by the "Twenty-four Bridges, Six Dynasty relics" in "Dream of Red Mansions", and the bridges also imply the bond between humans and books.
Zhongshuge Chongqing's "8D dimension space"
Zhongshuge in Chongqing embodies Chongqing's unique geographical environment as an "8D Mountain City". The steps inside Chongqing's branch are designed like mountain peaks, intertwined and complex.
The ceiling is covered with mirrors, and being there gives people the illusion that the mountain stairs are piercing the sky, much like the magical space in "Harry Potter", fantastical and fun.
In addition to the mountain-shaped stairs and mirrored ceilings that correspond with Chongqing's geographical environment, the giant "lampshade bookshelves" that can be seen everywhere in the lobby of Zhongshuge Chongqing, look like endless mountain ranges.
The mountains and water are connected, realities and fantasies intertwine, creating a miniature "8D Magic Mountains and Waters City".
Read more: Discover the story between the 300-meter Wulong Sinkhole and Chinese movie
Zhongshuge Chengdu's "mirror of magic"
When it comes to the most beautiful branches of Zhongshuge, it's impossible not to mention Chengdu Dujiangyan Zhongshuge, which has become a super popular pilgrimage site in recent years.
The overall space of Chengdu Dujiangyan Zhongshuge is created with mysterious deep blue and dark gray.
The C-shaped walnut bookshelf is reflected on the black ceramic tile floor through the mirrored ceiling, and its misplaced spatial sense makes it feel as if one is in a magical world.
The designer compared the sprawling bookshelf to a dam, designed the book display stand in the shape of a flat boat, and the pitch-black and shiny floor represents the lake surface.
Walking up the stairs to the second floor and overlooking the entire reading space, one can't help but feel the majestic momentum of Chengdu Dujiangyan.
Having seen all the above, which city's Zhongshuge Bookstore do you like the most?
Read more: Why did the Nine-Day Floor in Chengdu charm Li Bai?
