This unique bookstore was built from 400,000 bricks. Each piece is a metaphor.

Li Xiang, architect and founder of X+Living studio, approaches each of her projects from a multi-faceted perspective to maximize its purpose, visual context, and overall impact. The latter is paramount to her. Xiang believes that every space can offer a unique experience, beyond just space, that makes you want to return.

In the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, there's a unique bookstore whose original design didn't fit in with the Italianate architecture that dominates one of Tianjin's districts. Studio X+Living undertook the renovation of the building, adapting it to the local architecture. Not only the façade but also the interior design, in addition to gaining an Italian flair, were enriched with details that capture the atmosphere of the district.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore / Design by X+Living Studio

A bookstore design based on red brick

In Tianjin's Italian district, it's impossible not to notice the predominance of red brick buildings. Therefore, this material was meticulously incorporated by the design studio. Li Xiang wanted to revisit the history of brick, which dates back to ancient Rome and is now a key symbol of Italian culture.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore / Design by X+Living Studio

As a result , 400,000 bricks were used in the project, each one tailored to its functional needs while simultaneously lending expression to the material. All bricks were designed specifically for the bookstore, taking into account the shape of the entire space, with a focus on the interior details. To capture the nuances of each brick's form, the design team prepared detailed drawings, projections, cross-sections, and connection diagrams, often for just a single element.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore / Design by X+Living Studio

Each brick was created through the meticulous work of artisans, who hand-cut it to fully capture the design's intent and integrate it into its intricate composition. Furthermore, the bricks were laid in horizontal layers with gaps, echoing the design of Venetian blinds. This approach gave the building a visual lightness, allowing light to filter through. This approach demonstrates how traditional techniques can be creatively transformed to create something fresh and original, while still respecting classical architecture.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore / Design by X+Living Studio

In this project, alongside the bricks, dark blue steel moldings play an equally important role. Its deep color evokes the marine tones of Tianjin's harbor. The metal forms form soft, undulating lines, reminiscent of the calm movement of water. This motif symbolizes the openness and strength of a city that lives by the rhythm of the sea. In Xiang's vision, the high, arched passageways deliberately rise like the tide, carrying with them the metaphor of books as waves of knowledge that spread throughout the space.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore / Design by X+Living Studio

The interior's coastal atmosphere is further enhanced by a spiral staircase that flows seamlessly into shelves, reminiscent of ships leaving port. One moment, the staircase serves as a means of transportation, the next, it can serve as a place to relax. Every element of the interior, constructed solely of brick and steel, is cohesive and logically intertwined.

- My work often seems magical, dreamlike, even surreal – and that's because I don't just create beautiful spaces, but design spatial experiences for visitors - commented Li Xiang.

Tianjin Zhongshuge Bookstore / Design by X+Living Studio

The bookstore's design was intended to blur the lines between commercial activity and public good, creating a space accessible and open to all. The building's architecture, while drawing on classic Western patterns, transforms them in the spirit of local culture, creating a visual narrative of Tianjin.