Here's a compilation of interesting and beautiful bookstores that are definitely worth traveling for. Whether you're a bibliophile, a traveler or both, you'll definitely love to visit these stunning bookstores. Livraria Lello Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Livraria Lello (Lello Bookstore) was built in 1906 and designed by architect Xavier Esteves. It is one of the oldest bookstores in Portugal and is frequently rated among the top bookstores in the world, placing third in lists by the Lonely Planet and The Guardian. Rumor has it that J.K. Rowling’s inspiration to write Harry Potter has begun in Porto, particularly at this library. The well-known writer lived in Porto for 10 years working as an English teacher in the early 1990s and she used to drink a cup of coffee at the second floor of Lello’s bookstore. There are indeed great similarities between Lello’s bookstore staircase and the one described in Hogwarts. It is also believed that the Hogwarts’ costume was inspired by the costumes of college students in Portugal, composed of a black suit and a black coat. Elements of the facade and much of the interior are decorated in neo-gothic design and art nouveau. Photo Credit: Premium Incoming The centerpiece of this amazing shop is the beautiful curvaceous art nouveau staircase that leads to the upper floor, where visitors can not only enjoy coffees at the small small coffee shop, but also port wine and cigars. Photo Source: Pinterest Photo Credit: Local Porto
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Source: Local Porto Boekhandel Selexyz Dominicanen Photo Source: Pinterest Boekhandel Selexyz Dominicanen is a 13th century church which was transformed into a bookstore by Amsterdam-based architects Merkx+Girod, who won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize for their efforts in 2007. The building that houses the store is in fact a Gothic church consecrated in 1294 by the Order of Predicators founded by St. Dominic. The church has not hosted a religious function since 1794, when the church was confiscated by Napoleon’s army for military purposes. Since then, the space has been used as a town archive, warehouse and even an inglorious site for bike storage. Photo Credit: National Traveler Today, it houses a three storey bookshelf complete with staircases, elevators and walkways. Photo Credit: National Traveler Restored frescoes adorn the vaulted ceilings. Photo Credit: Panoramas Photos The former altar now houses the ‘Coffeelovers’ café with a large central reading table shaped as a cross. Photo Credit: National Traveler Photo Credit: Blog of the Courtier
El Ateneo Grand Splendid Photo Source: Wikipedia El Ateneo Grand Splendid is one of the best known bookshops in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2008, The Guardian placed it as the second most beautiful bookshop in the world. The building originally housed the theater Teatro Grand Splendid, designed by architects Pero and Torres Armengol in 1919. After years of popular shows, including performances by the famous tango singers Carlos Gardel and Ignacio Corsini, the Grand Splendid was converted into a movie theater in the late ’20’s, featuring some of the first sound movies shown in Argentina. The El Ateneo publishing house converted this old theater into a bookstore in 2000, replacing seating with bookshelves. The ceiling, the ornate carvings, the crimson stage curtains, the auditorium lighting and many architectural details remain. Despite the changes, the building still retains the feeling of the grand theatre it once was. Photo Credit: Podroz Nicci Photo Credit: Uruguay Foto The building features ceiling frescoes painted by the Italian artist Nazareno Orlandi. Photo Credit: My Modern Met The Grand Splendid’s stage remains encased by thick crimson curtains, and now serves as the bookstore’s café. A live pianist performs on stage in the afternoons and the acoustics can be heard throughout the store. Photo Credit: Trip Advisor Grand Splendid offers many books on Latin American art, regional cuisine, guide books, and Argentine culture which makes fun browsing for even those who don’t understand Español. There's English language section with fiction thrillers, romance novels, and few English textbooks. Check the basement for music, DVDs, and an extensive children’s section, and the upper floors for great views. The first floor houses mostly medical, psychological, and education texts, and you can find Classical and Opera music on the third floor. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
Sources: Wikipedia | Buenos Tours Cărtureşti Carusel Photo Source: Book Patrol Cărtureşti Carusel, also known as “The Carousel of Light in Bucharest, offers space for reading, socializing and artistic explorations. The elegant nineteenth century building was owned by a famous family of bankers in 1903, but it was confiscated during the communist period and turned into an ordinary store. After 1990, the building was recovered by the current owner, Jean Chrissoveloni who started an ambitious project of restoration. The store opened on February 12, 2015. The interior is adorned in massive white pillars, fancy moldings, and tables shaped like grand pianos. It has 6 floors, where you can find over 10,000 Romanian and English books, 5,000 albums and DVDs. Photo Source: Carturesti Carusel Photo Source: Carturesti Carusel Aside from thousands of books, trinkets, souvenirs, and gifts on sale, there is also a bistro, a multimedia space that hosts all types of events (cultural events, art shows, concerts and more) and a contemporary art gallery. Photo Source: Viajas
Livraria da Vila Photo Source: Dezeen Livraria da Vila is located in Cidade Jardim Mall in São Paulo, Brazil with a store-front made of revolving bookcases, designed by Isay Weinfeld Arquitecto. Photo Source: Arch Daily The walls of each level are covered with shelves from floor to ceiling and apertures between floors are lined with books too. They offer wide variety books, including English. Photo Source: Dezeen The general literature section occupies the ground floor with a small kitchen tucked into a back corner. Cash registers sit in an alcove to the left as customers exit, creating an effect more reminiscent of a library checkout than a commercial establishment. Photo Source: Arch Daily Photo Source: Retail Design Upstairs, the store offers a movies and music section and a café. Photo Source: Arch Daily Photo Source: Club Gourmand The basement level is dedicated to childrens books, in addition to a small auditorium for lectures and courses. Photo Source: Dezeen
Fangsuo Commune (Chengdu branch) © Chu Chih-Kang The Fangsuo Bookstore in Chengdu, China was designed by Taiwanese designer Chu Chih-Kang. The design was inspired by Buddhist temples and the scripture libraries which relates to the Mandarin Chinese concept of stored wisdom. For designer Chu, for whom the written word represents the collection of shared knowledge, a bookstore should not only be a gateway to this knowledge but a separate cosmos to house it. The store is thus located in the basement level of the site, completely shut off from the outside world. It is a cosmos of its own that the visitor is urged to explore. The entry to this building is through a sculpture shaped like a meteor. This mysterious tunnel is intentionally designed to feel narrow and confined for those passing through. This near claustrophobic experience is then followed by the immediate release into the large open space where you feel the pressure immediately released. The journey through this meteor, this ark to knowledge, is designed to release tension and allow customers to enter the space with a relaxed frame of mind, open to discovery and enchantment. © Chu Chih-Kang Many raw materials and techniques were used to resemble the scene of an ancient sutra depository (a private place to store all kinds of knowledge, such as books, sutras, and letters in ancient China) like the concrete columns with large cutting surfaces, bookcases in the loft, the bridge and catwalk across the bookcases. © Chu Chih-Kang The children’s book section was designed with porthole faux-windows and airplane-like roof. © Chu Chih-Kang Aside from the bookstore that offers wide variety of Chinese and English books, the store has different sections also for the café, houseware and luxury clothing boutique. © Chu Chih-Kang
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