The Jetlag Books Friendship Store in Beijing is a fascinating example of how architecture can pay homage to the past while still being innovative and relevant today. This bookshop, designed by Studio NOR, is a thoughtful nod to the historical context of its site, particularly the former service building to the neighbouring Friendship Store complex, a supply store built in 1972. The design draws on the Soviet-style facade and Bauhaus-informed volumes of the Friendship Store, preserving the rough plastered facades and creating large steel overhangs to frame its openings. This approach creates a sense of continuity and unity between the two buildings, while also highlighting their distinct differences. The 180-square-metre bookshop is organised on an L-shaped plan that combines a service building from the 1970s and a steel-structured building added in the 2010s. Studio NOR re-envisioned the existing steel structure as a 'frontier' or 'display window' at the store's front, adorned with matching steel signage. The single-storey volume is framed by a street-facing plaza, where outdoor seating is provided for visitors. Inside, the bookshop has been arranged around an 8.5-metre-long bar, which stitches together a book display area at one end of the space and a multi-functional area at the other. Modular stainless steel bookshelves showcase Jetlag Books' travel-themed collection and are set off by glazed wall tiles and matt-black flooring in the display area. At the back of the space, a three-step platform, designed to double as a temporary stage for events, provides access to a small storage room. The central bar area, described by Jetlag Books as 'the most visually dynamic space in the bookstore', has been wrapped in dark green and brown tiles. Above the bar, Studio NOR transformed an existing opening into a deep skylight that draws daylight into the space. Steps added to either side of the counter account for differences in floor level across the site, while also distinguishing the bookstore's spaces. At the bookshop's northern end, the multi-functional area serves as a seating area for the cafe. Moveable furniture allows the space to be used for exhibitions, events, and pop-up activities. Suspended ceilings expose the building's steel and concrete roofs, which have been paired with grey-toned concrete walls and terrazzo floors to echo the neighbouring Friendship Store. The Jetlag Books Friendship Store is the latest bookshop of Jetlag Books, which was founded in 2020 by designer Li Guanru and editor Lian Ziqiang. The design team also included Boyuan Jiang, Jingwen Wang, Shuo Yang, Jin Gan, Yichen Jin, and Chenxiao Yan. This project is a testament to the power of architecture to blend the past with the present, creating a space that is both visually captivating and functionally innovative. It raises a deeper question about how we can preserve the history of our cities while still creating spaces that are relevant and engaging for the future.
