Jetlag Books opens Beijing store referencing Soviet-style Friendship Store
Jetlag Books has opened a new location in Beijing, right on Chang'an Avenue, and it's designed by Studio NOR. This Friendship Store spans 180 square meters and is set in a former service building from the 1972 Friendship Store complex. The design keeps the Soviet-style exterior and Bauhaus influences, with its rough plastered walls complemented by large steel overhangs. The layout creatively combines a 1970s service building with a modern steel addition, serving as a "display window." Inside, there’s an 8.5-meter bar that connects a book display area with a flexible space. Founded in 2020 by Li Guanru and Lian Ziqiang, the project involved designers like Boyuan Jiang and others, with photography by Songkai Liu.
Key facts
- Jetlag Books opened a new store in Beijing designed by Studio NOR.
- The store is located on Chang'an Avenue, on the site of a former service building to the Friendship Store complex.
- The Friendship Store was a supply store built in 1972 with a Soviet-style facade and Bauhaus-informed volumes.
- Studio NOR preserved rough plastered facades and added large steel overhangs to frame openings.
- The 180-square-metre bookshop has an L-shaped plan combining a 1970s building and a 2010s steel structure.
- Inside, an 8.5-metre-long bar connects a book display area and a multi-functional area.
- The central bar area is wrapped in dark green and brown tiles with a deep skylight above.
- Jetlag Books was founded in 2020 by Li Guanru and Lian Ziqiang.
- The design team included Boyuan Jiang, Jingwen Wang, Shuo Yang, Jin Gan, Yichen Jin, and Chenxiao Yan.
- Photography is by Songkai Liu.
Entities
Artists
- Li Guanru
- Lian Ziqiang
- Boyuan Jiang
- Jingwen Wang
- Shuo Yang
- Jin Gan
- Yichen Jin
- Chenxiao Yan
- Songkai Liu
Institutions
- Jetlag Books
- Studio NOR
- Friendship Store
- Dezeen
Locations
- Beijing
- China
- Chang'an Avenue
Sources
- Dezeen —