Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
Librairie Avant-Garde
A two-century-old family shrine built during the Qing dynasty makes for an unlikely — but utterly awe-evoking — setting for a bookstore and coffee shop. In the thoughtful renovation that houses Librairie Avant-Garde’s Anhui location, rammed earth–coated cement board bookcases inspired by traditional Chinese screens line the walls surrounding a central courtyard, which floods the spaces under the eaves with natural light and the gentle patter of rain. In keeping with the traditions of Huizhou architecture, all the chairs, display tables and other elements were crafted from wood, bamboo and stone. By neither restoring the temple’s original elements nor transforming the interior into a shiny modern space, the bookstore becomes a conversation between past and present, not unlike the books on its shelves.
Team: Zhao Yunhai, Jiang Peng, Huang Xiaohong, Yang Zhijiang, SAVIOLAB, VEILO
