Ancient irrigation engineering becomes towering bookshelves in Xiang Li's award winning bookstore.
A bookstore in Dujiangyan, China houses over 80,000 books across 973 square meters, yet visitors remember the space long after forgetting what titles they browsed. Designer Xiang Li and the X+Living team accomplished something remarkable with Zhongshuge: they translated a 2,000 year old water conservancy system into functional retail architecture. Bookshelves inspired by the famous Dujiangyan dam spread upward toward mirror ceilings that multiply visual impact infinitely. Book tables shaped like traditional boats float across black tile floors that shimmer like mountain lakes. The children's reading area evokes bamboo forests blanketing surrounding mountains. Every design element references landscape features that local residents recognize instantly, creating immediate emotional connection. The project earned a Golden A' Design Award in Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design in 2021, validating heritage driven design as commercially viable strategy.
For brands evaluating retail investments, Zhongshuge demonstrates a replicable methodology. Xiang Li's team began with research into what makes Dujiangyan culturally significant, then identified specific landscape elements and translated each into functional commercial fixtures. Gray tile inspired entrance bookshelves divide the forum area while establishing visual intimacy. Extending shelf structures guide customer movement through curiosity rather than explicit signage. The journey from entrance to second floor seating creates a complete experience arc that extends dwell time and deepens brand impression. Organizations considering experiential retail can apply similar process: identify local heritage elements, translate references into working architecture, and engineer customer journeys through spatial narrative. The result transforms generic commercial space into destination worthy of pilgrimage and enthusiastic social sharing.
Retail differentiation increasingly depends on experiences that digital platforms cannot replicate. Zhongshuge proves that place based design creates competitive advantages rooted in irreproducible local specificity. What heritage elements define the locations where your brand operates? The answer might transform your next retail environment from transaction space into cultural destination.
