Atelier Tao+C creates "luminous" bookshop in Chinese ski resort

Interior studio Atelier Tao+C has completed a light-filled bookshop with a timber roof at a ski report in northern China for local retailer Naïve. Located in the ski resort of Aranya Chongli in northern China, the bookshop was built within an existing concrete frame. A grid of steel and timber frameworks were inserted in between the concrete columns of the original building, while the partition walls of the 420-square-metre space were removed, creating unobstructed views from interiors to the exteriors. "We conceived the new Naïve bookshop as a luminous space in the midst of ice and snow, seamlessly integrated with the surrounding landscape, climate and nature," said the Shanghai-based studio. The south facing glazed facade along with the circular opening on the pitched roof allow plenty of natural light into the space, creating playful lighting dynamics throughout the day. The timber bookshelves are supported by a stainless steel structure, while the display tables are made of the same timber on wheels but covered by an extra layer of fibreglass with round edges, creating visually lightweight and translucent installations that also allow flexibility. "The light birch and fibreglass complement the snowy landscape, making the previously grey concrete space more exquisite and brighter, like warm mist rising from the snow," said Atelier Tao+C. "As the sunlight moves, penetrated, and filtered by the texture of the fibreglass material, softens the hard light and cast soft shadows, the honey colour light oscillates and flows in the space."