Sweden-based designers Smånsk have completed the interior of a bookshop for travel magazine Vagabond in Stockholm, Sweden.
“A map of the local area provided the basis for the floor pattern, which continues up the walls in the form of a shelving system,” explain the designers.
See another bookcase designed by Smånsk in our previous story.
Photos by Carl Kleiner. The following information is from Smånsk:
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The whole world on your shelf
In autumn 2007, Smånsk was contacted by the editorial office of Vagabond travel magazine, who were in urgent need of a new look for their travel bookshop in the hip and vibrant Södermalm area of Stockholm. With a monthly readership of 188,000, Vagabond is Sweden’s leading travel magazine, and their travel bookshop is well established and provides inspiration and highly specialised information for travellers.
The design was based around the concepts of proximity, distance and multidimensionality. A map is the lowest common denominator of all types of travel, and in the eyes of a designer, its street patterns bear resemblance to a bookshelf.
The idea was to bring the outside world into the shop. A map of the local area provided the basis for the floor pattern, which continues up the walls in the form of a shelving system able to accommodate guides to all the world’s travel destinations. Segments corresponding to parks on the map are elevated from the floor, acting as units for displaying merchandise. The spiral staircase connects the shop to the editorial office at the same time as the street level entrance gives visitors to the office a welcoming first impression.
Written on the wall are the words of Saint Augustine, which summarise the company’s idea: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.”
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Posted by Matylda Krzykowski
October 21st, 2008 at 1:03 am
Oh mine…
did they made that project for free?
October 21st, 2008 at 7:30 am
Yellow street patterns bear resemblance to their pink bookshelf….
To project travel is a dream….I bought a lot of travel books and i never visit all the countries i prepared to visit…Where is the dream here ?
October 21st, 2008 at 8:23 am
Could have been much better , some of the space in high shelves is compromised,But overall a good effort!
October 21st, 2008 at 8:46 am
This is so beautiful, I love yellow!
October 21st, 2008 at 10:29 am
check the dog on the trendy picture
October 21st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
what a vibrance..great lines following though to the floor and into the space ! Finally some nice colour!
October 21st, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Amazing! This is a nice concept for this book store!
They are the tomorrow stars.
October 21st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
wow, pretty sweet
October 21st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
que bien !alguien que no usa negro y blanco y es de suecia! me gusta!!!!!!!!
October 21st, 2008 at 7:33 pm
This idea is outstanding! And being able to show it like this.. even more so.
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
I have to agree, this is pretty amazing. Finally a concept with a clear idea! I like it.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I’m not a massive fan of yellow but I think it works really well here. I really like the concept, good fit for the purpose and not over-worked but as someone else mentioned it does mean some of the shelves are unusable..
Utterly unrelated but it’s just reminded me of something that irked me last night while watching The Day After Tomorrow – they’re trapped in a library during a ice-age like drop in temprature. They need to build a fire, what do they use? Books.
Now, why the hell would you burn paper when you could be burning the SHELVES?! They weren’t even pretty, bespoke design shelves or anything! Pish!
October 27th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
The guys at Smånsk are simply fucking amazing. A fantastic apporach to interior design, that doesn’t feel datestamped at any given time what so ever.
They redid a friends office some time ago, and they – the friend – keep getting positive response every single time new clients walk through the door.
October 27th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Great idea and a great realization…gult är inte fult!
October 27th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
At first I didn’t really like the sharp yellow color but somehow you just can’t end up loving it. For me it’s the lines on the floor that make the full “picture” of a map, without them it would simply not have been the same. It’s just wonderful and If I ever go to Stockholm I’ll be sure to go to that store.
Also, I do not agree with Modular, I think the dog adds a perfect touch and make the picture more alive.
October 27th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
A very good concept and functional too. A very small room becomes larger – I have seen the shop in teal life. Shows originality.
I would like too have a shop like that!
October 28th, 2008 at 11:13 am
This is growing on me … it gives me a NewYorkish feeling. Dont know if its the map structur or the “yellowcabyellow”. I feel like traveling and especially to NY. The interior is just splendid and inspirering. The concistancy of the yellow really lifts the books out of the shelf into my hand and I hope it gives a more sales effect to Vagabond. Genious Smånsk!
October 28th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Thats the kind of modern design that really gives me a boner. I would love to put one of my books into that yellow thing!
Those guys really know how to make a travelstore going!
The dog is wonderful. Very nice tail.
September 28th, 2009 at 4:29 am
I think it’s great, but got the map effect from their sketch more so than the actual shelves at first. I do really like it though. I love yellow and wish it was seen more.