Kinokuniya Sapporo, Japan

With the plan of the bookshop having been derived from the rectilinear city grid of Sapporo, the new Kinokuniya Bookstore mirrors the elegance and grace the city has to offer.

Large swathes of the store's ceiling have been constructed in such a way as to resemble waves on seashore, Lit from within, the ceiling forms a floating sky over customers' heads as they browse through the store at their own leisure.

Circulation through the double-storey bookstore was carefully thought through. Care was taken to animate movement of visitors through the interior by integrating the design of the ceiling feature with the floor circulation paths.