Design

#architecture #books #churches

A 15th Century Cathedral Transformed into a Modern Bookstore

For many, reading a good book can be a religious experience, but this new bookstore in Zwolle, The Netherlands takes that idea to a whole new level. Architects BK. Architecten were tasked with converting this 15th century Dominican church into a modern bookstore with the addition of 700 square meters of shopping space. But there was one major catch: all the historical elements of the 547-year-old building including stained glass windows, pipe organ, ceiling paintings and expansive arches had to remain intact.

Incredibly, BK. Architecten managed to add three levels of retail space to the side wings of the church in a manner that the entire structure can one day be removed in order to restore the church to its original design. In addition only three colors of building materials were used to mimic the existing palette of the cathedral’s interior to further ensure that the bookstore would pay reverence to the original space.

Waanders in de Broeren opened earlier this summer and you can see many more views on the architect’s website. Photos by Joop van Putten and Hans Westerink. If you liked this you might also enjoy reading about a Walmart being converted into the largest single-story library in the United States. (via Arch Daily)

#architecture #books #churches

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