Renovation projects pose many challenges. The renovation of the Fang Ting bookstore by A9A rchitects in Chengdu City being no exception. The brief asked for an exterior façade without modifying the glass while creating a modern interior that meets the programmatic needs of a new bookstore format.
The first challenge was met by adding a white glass membrane to the existing façade. The membrane serves to retain both the integrity of the original glass, as well as interior daylight levels and indoor to outdoor relations – certainly a delicate balance.
The interior focuses around a sinuous movable stage desk that is horseshoe-shaped, allowing for maximum flexibility around existing plinths. The suspended ceiling combines several concentric circles of different sizes, the random sizing of which recalls cassette tapes from years ago.
Walking through the main space, a central staircase directs visitors to the second floor where a terrace area serves as a transition between the two floors. Here, the display surface of the bestselling list is designed as an inverted floor rack in the shape of a piano hammer.
A staircase reading space is added by using the height of the building and widening the width of the original staircase. The low height formed by the mezzanine and the surrounding book wall bring the warm feeling of being surrounded by knowledge.
