A castle of imagination built with bricks, the spatial design of ‘Zhongshuge Tianjin Bookstore’ in China.

중국 톈진에 위치한 중서고서관은 독창적인 디자인으로 많은 이들의 주목을 받고 있습니다. 이 서점은 전통적인 벽돌과 같은 소재를 현대적으로 재해석하여, 건축과 인테리어 디자인의 경계를 초월하는 문화 공간을 제공합니다. 서로 유기적으로 연결된 공간 구성은 지식의 흐름을 담아내며, 독서 공간과 상업 공간이 조화롭게 공존하는 새로운 서점 모델을 제시합니다. 이제 아래에서 하나씩 확인해보겠습니다.

The Imaginary Castle Built with Bricks: Spatial Design of Zhongshuge Bookstore in Tianjin, China

Zhongshuge Bookstore, located in Tianjin, China, is gaining attention for its innovative design that modernly reinterprets traditional materials like bricks, serving as a cultural space that transcends the boundaries of architecture and interior design. The organically connected spatial configuration embodies the flow of knowledge and presents a new bookstore model where reading spaces and commercial areas coexist harmoniously.

Design Information

Design Studio: X+Living

Location: Tianjin, China

Area: 1,821

Photography: SFAP

Realizing Imagination through Architectural Integration

X+Living has already showcased unique bookstore designs across China, and in this Tianjin Zhongshuge project, they created a fantastical space that transcends reality through the fusion of architecture and interior design. The red bricks enveloping the exterior emphasize the material’s inherent texture and craftsmanship, serving as an emotional design element that slows down the pace of everyday life and provides time for contemplation.

Reinterpreting the Everyday – Details Inspired by Blinds

The designer drew inspiration from everyday blinds to explore forms where light and space intersect. Light filters through slender slits, creating a delicate atmosphere reminiscent of hands turning the pages of a book, transforming the exhibition space into a sensory reading experience.

Colors and Structures Reflecting the Maritime City of Tianjin

At the center of the building, a blue steel structure symbolizes the sea of Tianjin’s port. The cut, curved design evokes waves, while the arched entrance visualizes the spreading waves of knowledge.

Stairs, Bookshelves, Navigation – A Journey of Contemplation

Upon entering the bookstore, a maze-like arrangement of stairs and bookshelves unfolds. This metaphorically expresses the journey of human intellectual exploration and the quest for truth, connecting physical movement and mental journeys into a single flow.

Formative Variations of Traditional Bricks

Over 400,000 bricks were used in the building, with each brick custom-designed to reflect the structural requirements and aesthetic flow of the space, both in form and size. Moving away from the monotonous arrangement of traditional bricks, a sculptural approach was attempted, transforming the bookstore into a piece of sculptural art.

This project, completed through 3D modeling and numerous simulations from the early design stages, perfectly embodies the balance between material innovation and spatial emotion.

A Design Experiment that Breaks Architectural Boundaries

Zhongshuge Tianjin Bookstore has been reborn as a space that blurs cognitive boundaries through architectural experimentation, rather than merely a space for selling books. The essential exploration of the material of brick leads to a new interpretation of form beyond technology, presenting new possibilities in cultural space design.