Bookverse

Bookverse: X+Living Architecture and Interior Design tells the story of how the groundbreaking architect, designer and founder of X+Living, Li Xiang, revolutionized bookstores across China. Beginning with the now legendary Zhongshuge Bookstore in Shanghai, this bilingual edition in English and Chinese takes readers on a thrilling journey through dozens of stunning bookstores built over the past couple of decades all across China, showing how Xiang helped to breathe new life into an industry; brick and mortar bookstores, that was in crisis. Reimagining the bookstore experience, Xiang celebrates the traditional virtues of physical books while also accommodating the modern world, creating spaces that delight and enchant avid and casual readers alike. Each featured case study, lavishly illustrated with diagrams, plans and photography, shows how Li Xiang developed the bookstores from a core concept inspired by the project’s location, implementing original and stunning designs, layouts, and furniture that lead browsers into a magical world. The texts also provide a revealing insight into the architect’s underlying philosophy and the thinking that went into every work.