Print Isn’t Dead: 8 Creative Uses of Books in Architecture and Interior Design

In our tech-savvy digital age, the value of the printed matter has been widely questioned. In a world where readers can easily access ebooks on their screens, it seems like paper only takes up space.

In the world of interior design, however, books are often used as an aesthetic device. One might even say that the projects and products listed below do more than use books as a decorative motif — they celebrate the book as an object in our living spaces.

Architects and industrial designers have been dreaming up creative ways to use books to frame spaces. In commercial settings like St. Mark’s bookstore, customized, undulating bookshelves structure the environment. The Tel Aviv house also uses a long bookshelf as a kind of makeshift, transparent wall to break up the interior.

A similar trend has emerged in industrial design. From Bruno Rainaldi’s “Sapien” bookcase to Parsons + USM Book/Store installation, the world has begun to see more and more objects that use books to create patterns. Chairs like the “BookWorm” use bookshelves not just for storage, but as an aesthetic device that becomes an integral part of the overall design. New bookshelf units, like “Electrodes” or “Tower Large,” allow designers to get creative with how books are stored and displayed.

Take a look at how these architects and industrial designers celebrate the printed-and-bound page:

St. Mark’s Bookshop by Clouds Architecture Office, New York

The architects behind St. Mark’s Bookshop in New York City use bookshelves as undulating walls that activate the space. The smooth bookshelf design creates room for readings, book signings, and other events. If you peer closely, you’ll find the section titles are etched into the shelves themselves, allowing the eye to glide around the space, uninterrupted by labels or sharp edges.

Cultura Bookstore by StudioMK27, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Sure, this A+Award-winning bookstore features conventional floor-to-ceiling wall shelving, but it is the large indoor “plaza” space that makes for a striking contrast with the backlit shelves. The broad expanses of wood on the flooring/seating and ceiling are accented by white laminate details, not to mention the books on the shelves.

D-House by PazGersh Architecture + Design, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

The bookshelf in this urban townhouse in Tel Aviv separates the living room from the stairway leading to the bedrooms, creating a divide between public and private spaces. It also lends structural support to the staircase itself. At two stories tall, it spans the space between the upper and lower floors in this open-plan layout.

BookWorm by Atelier 010

Atelier 010’s “BookWorm” isn’t any ordinary bookshelf — add a blanket, a pillow, and a few books on your summer reading list, and you have a perfect reading spot. Have a seat and find yourself encircled (literally!) by literature.

Cave Book Case Seating by Sakura Adachi

Unattached to the wall, expert designer Sakura Adachi has created a chair out of a bookcase — or is it a bookcase out of a chair? Either way, this chair is a celebration of books and reading that bookworms of every age will love. As with the “BookWorm” above, we first spotted this piece in our collection of “Chairs for Book Lovers.”

Tower Large by Dune

This geometric, freestanding bookcase offers a more aesthetically stimulating alternative to ordinary library shelving. Sans books, the tower looks like some kind of Judd-meets-Brancusi form; even when filled with books, it has a sculptural quality.

Electrodes by Dune

From the designers behind the above book tower, these “electrodes” create beautiful patterns against the wall. To complete the design, add a few books from your collection, then take a step back, and admire the varying lines that form on the wall.

Bonus: Book+Table by Avtandil Lomasadze

Perhaps the clearest example of books used as a decorative motif, this glass table design celebrates literature. Supported by a giant book, the table echoes the way it might be used in one’s home or workspace.