Vulture Magazine, Singapore (2014)

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Traditional bookstores are slowly losing appeal due to the convenience of purchasing and information access that the digital world provides. As part of Vulture Magazine’s exploration of future brick-and-mortar bookstores in the electronic age, we were asked to dream up how our future bookstore would function, with elements to ensure the sustainability of bookstores.

Gone are the days where huge generalised bookstores pander to the interest of readers. Instead, the space of the future bookstore is scaled down, offering a specialized, curated selection of good reads. Moving away from the notion of the virtual world where human interaction is limited, our ideal future bookstore presents itself as a modular space that promotes interaction and socializing. We envisioned our future bookstore to come in the form of a swimming pool, whereby both leisurely relaxation and intensive swimming occur concurrently. The space comes alive by separating itself into dual levels that creates different levels of engagement. Level one, an intimate, contained space, is envisioned to host events such as book signing and workshops, giving rise to a primarily social platform for the like-minded to come together, facilitating discussion and creativity.

On the other hand, level two, at a further distance from level one, is designed for those who would prefer their own quiet space. Nevertheless, level two still allows for readers to view the happenings on level one. The dual levels effectively segment the differing planes of intimacy and involvement within the bookstore, while still allowing everyone to be involved in common occurrences.

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