X+Living Crafts a Temple of Shadows and Stories for the Zhongshuge Bookstore in Tianjin

Summary

• X+Living’s design for the Zhongshuge bookstore in Tianjin, China, blends cultural heritage with modern design in the city’s Italian-style district
• Built with 400,000 custom-made red bricks, the space features layered bay windows and wave-like steel panels

The Zhongshuge bookstore in Tianjin, China, designed by X+Living, is a striking cultural landmark that blends architectural innovation with literary atmosphere. Located in Tianjin’s Italian-style scenic district, the bookstore was conceived as a dialogue between modern design and historic surroundings. It reimagines a contemporary building into a cultural hub, integrating architectural and interior design into a unified vision.

The architectural and interior design is defined by two primary, raw structural materials: red brick and dark blue steel. Drawing inspiration from the historical and cultural significance of red brick in both Chinese and Italian architectural traditions, X+Living used approximately 400,000 custom-made bricks to construct the main body of the bookstore. The brickwork, featuring Italianate details like decorative columns and round arches, is laid in layered horizontal gaps to evoke the look of Venetian blinds. This technique transforms the dense material’s visual texture from heavy to light, introducing a sense of transparency and rhythm to the facade.

Inside, the journey is both physical and spiritual, designed to be an open and inclusive public realm. The spatial composition draws inspiration from everyday objects such as the bay window, reinterpreted to create layered visual effects. Light filters through overlapping structures, producing a dramatic interplay of brightness and shadow. This approach transforms heavy materials into seemingly lighter forms, generating a sense of permeability and rhythm throughout the space.

The bookstore’s central atrium features deep blue steel panels arranged in cascading layers, evoking the movement of waves and symbolizing the dissemination of knowledge. Visitors ascend through tiered staircases and bookshelves, a journey that metaphorically reflects humanity’s pursuit of truth and wisdom.

The design is a high-level exercise in craftsmanship and integrated function, where the materials themselves, bricks and steel, are not hidden but become the final functional forms. The meticulous craftsmanship, particularly the custom-made bricks of varying shapes needed to achieve the complex curves, is intended to be a subtle reminder for visitors to slow down and embrace the contemplative process of reading and thinking in a fast-paced era.