28.04.2022 Jakob Schoof

Zhongshuge Shenzhen by X+Living

© SFAP

Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift

Li Xiang and her Shanghai office known as X+Living have realized a dozen shops all over China for the Zhongshuge bookstore chain, creating a countermodel to online giants such as Amazon and Alibaba. Entering the shops is like opening a good novel: shoppers dive into another world that can be magical or alienating. At any rate, it makes them forget all about time and space.

© SFAP

Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift

The shelving rises and curves into grottos, vaults and tunnels full of books. Often, reflective walls and ceilings extend the space to infinity.

Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift

The Shenzhen branch of Zhongshuge measures 1300 m² and is divided into three parts: the large, open Concept Area, which lies behind large display windows on the street corner; a more intimate Forum Area, whose design oscillates between a salon and Expressionist church vault; and a children’s area with a colourful ambience. The Forum Area − nomen est omen − includes a small presentation room.

© SFAP

Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift

The real eye-catcher at the latest Zhongshuge is unquestionably the large, spiral installation in the Concept Area. This is probably easiest to understand as a recumbent spiral staircase whose steps serve as shelves filled with books. As a source of inspiration for this construction, Li Xiang cites Anish Kapoor’s Memory installation: a sort of enormous rugby ball of Corten steel created by the artist in 2008 for the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin. However, the parallels to the colourful, somewhat Harry Potter-esque spiral of books in Shenzhen are quite abstract.

© SFAP

Lorem Ipsum: Zwischenüberschrift

Li’s explanation of the spiral shape is a bit clearer: it symbolizes the progression and passage of time, concepts which are perceptible in the Shenzhen region, which has grown from a small city of 60 000 to a business metropolis of 17.5 million in just four decades.


Architecture: X+Living
Location: Shenzhen (CN)


Effective floor area: 1300 m²

https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/1/01-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/2/02-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/3/03-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/4/04-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/5/05-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/6/06-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/7/07-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/8/08-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/0/9/09-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/1/0/10-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/1/1/11-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image https://detail-cdn.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/media/catalog/product/1/2/12-zhongshuge-shenzhen-x_living-grafik-grundriss.jpg?width=437&height=582&store=de_en&image-type=image
Please enter your email address below to receive a password reset link.
Mandatory fields
or
Copyright © 2024 DETAIL. All rights reserved.