Long Shang Bookstore / A.C.R.E. Atelier

Architects: A.C.R.E. Atelier
Area: 260 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: WDi
Manufacturers: Appleton Special Glass, Du Pont
General Constructor: Shanghai ZhuAn Construction Development Co.LTD
Products Used in This Project: Low Iron Channel Glass by Appleton, Coated Channel Glass – Amethyst by Appleton
Design Team: Shun Yin, Qi Shi, Xinhe Lu, Siyi Zhu, Shuang Xv
Lighting Design: Xiu Yang
The Client: East China University of Science and Technology Press
City: Shanghai
Country: China

Long Shang Bookstore, designed by A.C.R.E. Atelier, is a renovated two-story building near the College of Arts and Media, intended as a multifunctional public space. The architects preserved the original spiral staircase by transforming it into a steel structure with light-permeable glass, creating an art installation effect. A 14-meter translucent wall was added to capture light and enhance interaction with adjacent spaces. The roof was raised to introduce natural light, while a luminous ceiling crafted from Dupont paper adds texture. Various window designs connect the interior with the environment, blending old and new elements to create a layered spatial identity.

The project is situated at the intersection of a river, bridge, and road, near the Chen Yuan (College of Arts and Media) and the library to the northwest. The original structure is a two-story building with a four-pitched roof. As a significant part of the campus’s historical setting, the university envisions its renewal transforming it into a key public space, incorporating a bookstore, café, creative arts area, and salon.

Though the original concrete spiral staircase is worn, it holds historical significance like a sculptural piece in the corner. To preserve this memory while improving functionality, the structure was converted into an indoor steel staircase, finished in “Huali Blue” and enclosed with semi-transparent double U-shaped glass on the exterior.

Inside, the U glass material almost vanishes, leaving only the play of light, which wraps gently around the steps as one ascends, evoking a sense of reliving the past. This light creates a ritualistic atmosphere in the salon area on the second floor, akin to being bathed in holy light. From a distance, the blue spiral staircase’s hazy texture is shaped by diffuse reflections, with human shadows swaying and shifting, transforming the staircase into an art installation that explores human-light interaction. This regeneration of campus memory elevates the functional staircase into a metaphysical and spiritual space.

A two-meter gap between the bookstore’s west wall and Chen Yuan evokes the narrow courtyards of light found in classical gardens of the southern Yangtze River. To harness this skylight, the solid wall was replaced with a multi-layered, continuous translucent medium. Various materials were used to create a “four-sided hall” with a shaded tone. The wooden structural frame, combined with polycarbonate and frosted acrylic panels, forms a 14-meter-long translucent display case interface.

Transparent holes of varying sizes are integrated into cabinets with differing levels of permeability. This subtle shift in transparency captures dynamic light and shadow, creating an engaging visual experience. The gradually translucent window subtly invites passersby to glimpse into the art lab across the room, sparking curiosity and encouraging exploration. Inside the bookstore, translucent cabinets serve as partition walls, enhancing the space’s overall permeability. This design allows the line of sight to flow freely through the space, interweaving the movement of people and the arrangement of books into a cohesive visual experience.

The original four-slope roof of the building made the second-floor space confined and dark, with the structure showing significant wear over time. After careful consideration, part of the roof was raised to accommodate the special functions of party meetings and academic salons. High windows were installed on three sides to bring in abundant natural light, creating an inward-facing space with a subtly elevated, almost sublime atmosphere.

At various times, sharp light and shadow move like clock hands, cutting across the space from different angles and engaging in a dialogue with human shadows. The luminous ceiling, crafted from Dupont paper rather than ordinary light film, maintains the space’s integrity. When stretched taut, the Dupont paper forms folds that introduce an unexpected, handcrafted texture, creating an overall luminous surface at night. This light-filled ceiling installation shapes a distinctive spatial atmosphere both day and night, ideal for high-quality group activities.

Windows serve as a poetic link between people, streets, and nature. To connect the interior and exterior spaces effectively, each window was designed with specific needs in mind, exploring various sizes, shapes, and opening mechanisms while influencing different sitting and viewing behaviors. This approach resulted in a range of window styles, including sitting windows, back sitting windows, floor-to-ceiling windows, peeking windows, corner curved windows, and side-height windows.

The spatial interface controls the flow of sight, light, and interaction. On the south side, narrow windows face the busy Welcome Road, while on the east side, windows are designed to be as open and transparent as possible toward the Youth River. On the north side, outdoor windows are positioned beneath seating areas between the Morning Garden and the campus, integrating the city’s daily life with the campus environment. These windows either frame views of green shadows, birds in the sky, and the lively water street, or they invite hidden exploration, street watching, and occasional interaction.

After the old building’s ceiling was removed, the top surface revealed the concave and convex texture of the original wooden mold concrete. Following structural reinforcement, the striking contrast between the orderly, handcrafted beams and columns encased in steel and the wooden concrete mold texture was evident. Impressed by this blend, the decision was made to preserve the construction traces of the 1990s concrete pour and the recent structural enhancements.

By covering the top surface and coating the steel with warm white paint, the space takes on a unified and ambiguous tone. This treatment contrasts sharply with the rough texture of the exposed aggregate, revealed after the old surface layer was chiseled away from the concrete columns, extending throughout the space. The layered hand-made traces, the juxtaposition of old and new, and the interplay of visible and hidden elements all reflect the building’s history while creating a new, energized atmosphere.