The Huai'an Zhongshuge bookstore reimagines architectural space as a cosmic journey, blending surrealism with structural precision. Dominated by exaggerated three dimensional forms, the interior evokes celestial mechanics through concentric rings and irregular geometric structures that mimic astronomical instruments. Bookshelves curve and spiral like planetary orbits, their dynamic arrangements echoing the motion of celestial bodies. Scattered books, akin to fragments of infinite worlds, nestle within these sculptural shelves.
Li Xiang, who obtained her degree of Architecture at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom, founded X+Living Architecture and Interior Design in 2011 and later crossed into the field of interior design. She has created numerous representative design works across diverse sectors such as commercial real estate, culture, retail, family-oriented business and hospitality. She leverages her distinctive insights into art and culture to construct commercial spaces teeming with emotional tension, crafting sensory escape points for the general public and infusing the brands she serves with design creativity that confers a competitive edge. Her work has been globally recognized with numerous accolades, garnering over a hundred design awards, and she has also been invited to serve as a judge for international competitions such as the Dezeen Awards, the Frame Awards, and the A’Design Awards. She has been named one of Forbes's Designers with the Most Potential, German Iconic Design's Interior Designer of the Year, and won a Global Interior Retail Design Award at the Prix Versailles. In 2020, she was the only Chinese designer selected by FAST COMPANY in the "Most Creative People in Business". In 2021, she became the only Chinese designer listed in the PMI Future 50.
Zhongshuge is a reading space brand under Shanghai Zhongshu Industry Co., Ltd., founded on April 23, 2013, by Jin Hao. Zhongshuge adheres to the philosophy of "chain but not replicate, each store with its own cultural style," creating a reading space that combines design aesthetics and humanistic beauty for readers.