There’s something wonderful and inviting about book stores. Like a candy shop for avid readers, book stores entice with affordable treats and as well as some beautiful books well out of price range. It’s hard to walk into a book store and leave with just the item you’ve been looking for. Shelves and shelves of books, comfortable seats, and even swank coffee shops and bakeries make it hard for anyone to walk in and out. The only thing more enticing than a book store is an exceptionally beautiful book store. Throughout the world there are a handful of bookstores and libraries known for their beauty and unconventional outer shells. Old firehouses, night clubs and more have been converted into book stores.

One Dutch book store, however, calls a 13th century Dominican church its home. The breathtaking space is the result of a project known as Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht. Selexyx, a book store chain much like Barnes & Noble, placed one of its locations in one of Holland’s most beautiful old churches. Designed by architects from Merkx + Girod, the book store is a fascinating combination of two aesthetics. The store has all the characteristics of a modern book store delicately placed all around the huge and intricate church’s structure. Spires and artwork painted on the ceiling surround these books and the structure of the store encourages people to explore the church’s interior.

 

 

 

There’s even a coffee shop suiting the theme of the church. While some may find that a place of business like a book store ruins the beauty of the old church, it’s one example of finding a new use for an old space. More often than not, structures that aren’t set to be preserved by a city or country face possible destruction over time. It’s cool to see an older structure not only survive, but invite people in the way a modern structure does. Check out more at My Modern Met!