3andwich Design: Viti Guides bookshop in Beijing

We have now learnt to recognise the work of He Wei – founder of Beijing-based mostly business 3andwich Layout – from his new redevelopment projects located in rural spots of China, such as Shangping Village in Fujian Province, or the 809 Arsenal vacation resort in Yichang Town, Hubei. What these and other assignments have in common is the idea of regeneration, the rediscovery of after-critical areas now crying out for new indicating and new utilizes, and a keen target on the people for whom architecture can depict a social act.

This also would seem to be the widespread thread that hyperlinks He Wei’s investigation in rural contexts with a modern city project, namely the fitting out of Viti Textbooks, a bookshop in the south of Beijing.

The new shop is found in the Daxing district, around Hongkun Plaza, an area which the architects explain as somewhat unpopular, potentially thanks to its strict zoning: indeed, blocks of flats and place of work properties abound, served by only a handful of facilities, these as a purchasing centre, a nursing residence and a athletics university. There are a few outlets right here and there, and the closest metro station is 1.5km away.

The client, Shangfa Viti (Beijing) Tradition Co., Ltd., visualised Viti Books as a new cultural landmark for a neighborhood so desperately in need of one particular. “Nomen omen”, as they say: Viti is the name of the key island of Fiji, and signifies ‘dawn’, alluding to the rebirth that the project aims to deliver about in the neighbourhood by offering the satisfaction of looking through in a functional, welcoming position. The architects ran with the theme of the island in content, way too, creating a structure dependent on semantic ‘islands’.

3andwich Design and style has concentrated on making a really solid and coherent visual identification, developing a sequence of speaking interior locations made in these a way as to accommodate diverse folks in distinct areas, every single with their very own marked atmosphere. The store is located in the southwest corner of Hongkun Plaza, a 300m2 space with an L-shaped floor program and extensive windows overlooking the road. The bevelled edge of its corner allows the store to have a third glazed façade, which is correctly suited for the major entrance provided its centrality. In get to make the most of the shop’s prospective in phrases of the views on offer you, the entire façade stretching close to the constructing – with an inner height of 3.3 metres – capabilities a clear curtain wall which gives a area of eyesight of 270 levels. A second doorway has been opened up on the southwestern facet, at the issue closest to the walkway foremost to the entrance to the shopping centre.

The visual appearance of the exterior is reliable with the structure – with its several attention-grabbing facts – that website visitors are satisfied with upon entry. A double-peak body protruding from the glass façade outlines the most important doorway, while a second frame with zigzag panels highlights the horizontal development of the façade. The sea-blue aluminium cladding bears the majestic gold Viti Guides indicator, along with other Chinese people which, despite being mounted, catch the eye thanks to their golden reflections on the irregular floor. With no distinctive lighting to speak of, the façade as a substitute capitalises on the dynamic color scheme of the interiors even though sustaining the air of sobriety befitting of a area of culture, as for every the client’s wishes.


On a handsome sq.-panelled walnut parquet floor that marks out the entire atrium, viewers are welcomed by a semicircular threshold made from alternating white and black marble, inlaid with the letters of the Viti Guides emblem. Upon entering, one’s interest is right away drawn to a bookcase with spotlit gold-coloured steel shelves, standing out versus the glass brick wall and generating for an stylish contrast. The similar material is utilised to deal with the juice bar located on the suitable-hand aspect, offering a separation involving the atrium and the reading through and reference room.

Although the reception spot attributes warm hues and resources, evoking a homely come to feel, the looking through place alternatively echoes the themes and colors of the façade: a sea-blue full-height bookcase spans the partitions on two sides, building a bold centrepiece noticeable to all who walk previous the store windows. A series of platforms at distinct heights lead readers up to the bookshelves or supply cosy reading through nooks, presenting assortment in the design and style of the house: one particular this kind of system, equipped with a glass parapet, is also developed to be applied as a modest phase overlooking the main area, for use in readings, conferences and displays. Acrylic light fittings float ethereally like web pages of textbooks, carefully illuminating the floor in its combine of parquet and black and white ceramic with a diamond sample.

An added display screen wall, dedicated to a selection of composing papers, divides the most important place from the window, where by a extensive bar-design desk with lifted chairs gives space for folks to read through or function. On the outward-dealing with aspect, this “writing-paper wall” can be adorned with 688 10x10cm square samples in a selection of colours. As the photos show, the initially exhibition is devoted to the centenary of the Chinese Communist Social gathering, with its flag recreated in sheets of purple and yellow paper. Dependent on the activities or festivals scheduled, this wall proficiently gets a huge safeguarded poster that is evidently seen from the street, serving as a sort of 2nd shop signal.

In the opposite wing of the shop, past the atrium, the golden cabinets stretch together the overall duration of the window, providing a backdrop for minimal tables and cozy armchairs upholstered in sea blue: an suitable spot to settle in with a espresso and a great e book, viewing the environment go by. Lastly, the final location is dedicated to a particular variety of user – kids – echoing the format of the studying home for older people, but with a number of precise tweaks: very first of all, a sliding bookcase helps make it doable to shut off the children’s place, hiding it from the eyes of the grownup entire world, making for a form of risk-free haven or hidey-hole for playful youthful minds. Inside of, the shelves are tailor made-developed to stimulate the youngsters to browse of their have accord, without having the intervention of mother and father. Last but not least, this children’s area is based on the theme of checking out the universe. The space rocket seat provides them the prospect to picture a ‘journey’ via reading through, with the walls and ceiling decked out in luminescent paint, although clusters of coloured fibre optic lights produce light trails reminiscent of a starry sky.

Evidently, the bookshop stays open up with light lighting even at night time, permitting all those with a busy lifestyle, unable to spare a second to study in the course of the working day, to enjoy a little time for on their own. Certainly, the goal of this undertaking and how it has been equipped out is to renovate Viti Publications into an encounter, a cultural landmark for all ages, in an effort and hard work to battle the loneliness and lack of social interaction that appear to have affected this neighbourhood in sprawling Beijing.

Mara Corradi
Architects: 3andwich Layout / He Wei Studio

Principal architects: He Wei, Chen Extended

Crew: Cao Shiqing, Sang Wanchen, Zhu Yanming, Liu Yong

Locale: No.107, Developing B, Hongkun·Xinduhui, Hongfu Street, Daxing District, Beijing

Client: Shangfa Viti (Beijing) Tradition Co., Ltd.

Foremost architects: He Wei, Chen Extended

Job Architect: Meng Xiangting

Group associates: Cao Shiqing, Sang Wanchen, Zhu Yanming, Liu Yong

Development drawing design: Beijing Hongshang Intercontinental Style Co., Ltd.

Inside design: Sanwen Architecture

Operation staff: Dongli Lifestyle (Communication) Beijing Co., Ltd.

Head of operation team: Sally

Procedure crew: Deng Qian, An Ran, Nie Wenshuai

Construction: Henan Aide Decoration Engineering Co., Ltd

Building area: 320 sqm

Design time: Dec. 2020 – Feb. 2021

Completion time: Jun. 2021

Photographer: © Fang Liming