The ancient Dominicant church in Maastricht believed to be already more than 800 year old is finally renovated as a bookstore, much to the delight of the book lovers. Prior to this, the Selexyz Dominicanen was converted into a parking lot for bicycles. Until very recently, the upper floors were not accessible to public. The bookstore offers a wide selection of books in English. Interestingly, the beauty and the charm of the church created centuries ago are still in tact.

There is a cafeteria at the back of the bookstore where visitors can sit and relax and indulge themselves over some beverage and snacks. The architecture of the renovation process has been done by Merkx + Girod. So far, the design has won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize. In 2008, The Guardian called it “the best bookstore in the world.”

The books are arranged in a three storey black steel book stack that stretches up to the stone vaults. The highest shelves can be reached by lift or by the set of chairs within the sleek. The place looks very appealing and salubrious.

Via: CrossRoadsMag\Merkx-Girod\Guardian