Livraria da Vila / Isay Weinfeld
Frontal view © Leonardo Finotti
Brazilian architecture has produced interesting works in the business/retail area, often limited to just interior design. Recent works by Marcio Kogan, Marcelo Alvarango or Tao Arquitetura are good examples of a tradition that, in my personal opinion, has a peak at Mendes da Rocha’s Forma store in Sao Paulo. If you ever go to Sao Paulo to visit local architecture, don´t be afraid of your girlfriend/wife taking you to shopping, there´s lots to see there.
Leonardo Finotti shared with us an interesting project by local architect Isay Weinfeld that is up to this brazilian standard, the Libraria da Vila bookstore in Sao Paulo. An hermetic volume with a pivoting book facade contains an interesting space filled with books distributed over 3 levels as you can see on the photos:
Frontal view © Leonardo Finotti
Entrance view © Leonardo Finotti
Underground Floor view © Leonardo Finotti
Stairway to the underground Floor © Leonardo Finotti
Ground Floor view; underground Floor below © Leonardo Finotti
View from the First Floor toward stairway to the ground Floor © Leonardo Finotti
Underground Floor © Leonardo Finotti
Room surrounded with bookshelfs on the ground Floor and underground © Leonardo Finotti
Stairway to the First Floor © Leonardo Finotti
Ground Floor; stairway to the First Floor on right © Leonardo Finotti
Tables and bookshelf in background © Leonardo Finotti
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65 comments »
woo
Books were definitely the focus here.
I like it!
I’m afraid, though, this level of architecture is too concentrated in São Paulo. I would say it’s a very ‘paulistana’ architecture IMO.
the gate make me wow!
Very cool and original thinking, fits the purpose and adds a fun experience to going to a bookstore. I have Mr Weinfeld’s monograph he has done some beautiful mansions around Brasil.
Raspek!
Quality design and build…
Although I am altogether not convinced about using the product as decoration
ow.. I will feel like in some kind of the museum, “don’t touch anything cause the beauty could be destroyed”
I love it
Thank you for this post ,,, searching for this for some time now…..Indeed Nice ! design
Interesting. But finally the books become decoration while losing function.
Awesome. Don’t agree with Moun comment. Books are definately at the center of this work. It’s made with it and for it. great work.
Oh!!
I´ve been there and it´s great, very well designed. It´s impossible not to touch the books. I felt like a child in a candy shop…
That’s a bookstore!
Beautiful work! This kind of work will make me go to the library all the time, is warm is inviting is absolutely great!
Love the both the interiors and the exterior facade
Excellent work!
I love it.
Is there a chance we can see some plans and sections?
Tuf-Pak, try this link:
http://www.arcoweb.com.br/interiores/isay-weinfeld-livraria-sao-21-09-2007.html
clic on “plantas, cortes e fachadas” (which means “plans, sections e elevations” in portuguese)
Thanks for the tip, pr.
Fantastic space! Two things are particularly striking: (1) unlike most other bookstores I’ve seen, this one does not hang books on freestanding shelving units, instead placing them on shelves that hug every interior surface that would exist even if the books weren’t there. This seems to accentuate the overall form of the interior – for instance, the circular opening and outer envelope of each space have greater depth and texture. In fact, despite keeping the middle areas open for circulation and lounging, the store seems just as full of books as one without any open floor space.
And those rotating display-wall units in the front are perfect for drawing people into the store. Most bookstores are walled off from outside with little more than a plate-glass display window cluttered with cardboard; here, the entrance is even more permeable, despite offering even more display space. A definite, bravo.
Could the technical facts be posted as well?
I mean, just as the other projects have their list of client, contractor, architect, etc.
It´s good to see Brazillian architecture get some exposure on the web.
Very nice work Leonardo!!
oh and wow are good but there did not seem to be any construct for social interact that you see in some places in n.a. and europe.the size 0f the place is enought to make you want to run away!
inspiring!
…but i want to touch the books that are in the circle…. how?
wao, wonderful.
This is too good…simplistic and very good interplay between books and architectural spaces…
the gate is great…!!!
Thats what I call maximizing shelf surface. Great project!
great design!
I do not agree with
arguments that book’s
loose their function
This book shop looks magical, as all book shops should.
OK, I must admit I like this design. Maybe I made the definition of book’s function a little narrow. In other word, the design develops book’s function, which is for attracting someone to go into the bookshop, not for reading.
I have visited that bookstore! It’s amazing. My friend’s boyfriend designed it.
I would read smt there :)
This is an amazing library. Isay Weinfeld is an extraordinary and original architec too. Nice work
I love this bookstore, but I don’t live in Brazil ! Isay Weinfield, do you want to work in France ??
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