Wutopia Lab is invited by client to renovate a Xinhua Bookstore and its annex room in the historic district of Yangzhou. The bookstore is redesigned as a multi-functional box for bookstore, hostel, exhibition, conference and tea house, which presents a possibility of connection of the past and the future of the city of Yangzhou. Yangzhou, with a history of 2500 years, used to be the most prosperous city in China. This Xinhua Bookstore in Guoqing Road opened on January 28th, 1949 was the first of its branch in the city. The former of the bookstore was the Jianguo Bookstore during the period of Republic of China and was took over after the liberation. The bookstore is gradually downsized and dilapidated 70 years after its opening so the government of Yangzhou and client are looking for a revival of the bookstore and hope it can bring a positive effect to the city renovation of historic district.

 

 

The Weightless Box – A bookstore of screens. Based on the heavy grey color theme in Guoqing Road, Wutopia Lab would like to create an opposite space by using bright white color theme for the bookstore. By borrowing the idea of “Palace of Screens”, bookshelves made of white acrylic are installed as screens, splitting the space like a maze. The translucent acrylic material of the bookshelves creates a visual effect of fog, which provides a sense of floating, weightless experience inside of the bookstore.

 

 

The lifting platform used to be logistics elevator is turned into a mobile living space, which is hidden behind the mirrored wall. The wall of the platform can also be used for exhibition. The third floor is a little collection space for limited books. The space is equipped with portable stainless-steel bookshelves and fixed bookshelves. Together with the mirror ceiling and black floor, the space becomes a boundary-less chamber.

 

 

 

 

The two buildings behind the Xinhua Bookstore is turned into a hostel and shared lobby space. The one with two floors is the hostel with 12 bedrooms, which are small boxes within the large hostel space. The hostel is like a box of chocolate and you’ll never which bedroom you’re going to get. The building next to the hostel is the shared lobby space for group events. We are asked to not to change the façade, so the roof becomes our focusing point. In order to create a vibrant interior atmosphere, we chose to install colored transparent panels for the skylights. A poetic life is the treasure of the hostel box.