When you walk into a bookstore, 99 percent of the time, you know what to expect: a musty, old-book smell; spines upon spines of titles; the odd employee hiding around every corner, replenishing shelves and offering to help you find elusive authors. A new location of the Zhongshuge bookstore chain opened on January 25 and it is truly unlike any other bookstore––or any retail location––you’ve ever seen.
Upon entering, a confusing scene will greet you: what appears to be a massive barricade of books and a series of staircases leading up the wall… and continuing on the ceiling. According to The Daily Mail, the bookstore accomplished this M.C. Escher-esque feat with some help from symmetrical staircases and a bunch of massive mirrors. Even with that knowledge, the facade will stop you in your tracks.
Related: A New Artist’s Book Draws From a Life on the Road
This is only one of Zhongshuge’s somewhat whacky interiors. The chain is known for themeing their locations, from their maze-inspired design to an Alice in Wonderland fantasyland in Yangzhou. Sounds like the making of a bookstore-inspired road trip to me…
