The Glade bookstore has debuted as a point of respite amid the urban bustle of Chongqing in Sichuan, China. HAS Design and Research crafted the space in homage to the historic topographical paintings of Guanzhong Wu and aimed to provide city dwellers with access to nature.
Spread across 10,760 square feet, Glade echoes the layout of stilt houses with a lower level reserved for reading, resting, and discourse, while the upper level accommodates the bookstore, F&B area, and exhibition space. HAS infused nature into both floors by installing aromatic fir bookshelves set against a backdrop of semi-transparent frosted glass.
“We started to create manmade nature inside of the building,” says HAS cofounder Jenchieh Hung. “We always consider nature because humans are part of nature and nature teaches us everything, including a ‘spiritual atmosphere’ and a ‘sense of belonging.’”
Polished concrete floors also line the interior along with brick walls and ceilings painted in charcoal gray, which subdue the visual impact of the ceiling’s PVC line. Furthermore, upper level spaces are bathed in white tones to amplify natural light pouring in from large windows.
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