In the BGS Library, we’re all about great design. You might not have known this, but Mrs Osafo’s first degree was in Graphic Design and Mr Hancock worked as a design PR before arriving at BGS. Those of you who took the BGSI activity in Year 7 will know all about our love of book covers, but today we want to talk about bookshelves. Think how great the Library could look with some of these dotted around:
The BookWorm shelf by Ron Arad is made from pliable plastic that can be shaped into any pattern and can support a surprisingly massive weight of books. It can be wound-up into pretty tiny spaces, so could be great when the Library finally runs out of space!
CAVE is a shelving unit with integrated reading nook. I’d absolutely love one of these tucked away in a corner for those times when you want to shut-out the world and concentrate on a good book.
This design by Yoon-Zee Kim might look a little like a heart-rate monitor at first, but take a step-back to admire the genius of this shelf. The genius being that it isn’t always a shelf. Depending on how you stack it and where you sit/stand in relation to it, it can be a seat, a shelving system or a desk!
Juxtaposed: Power is a shelf/art-piece from San Francisco designers Mike and Maaike. Cut to house seven seminal books about power and society, it is probably the most impractical design possible for a lending library, as you can't take books out without spoiling it!
Architect Moon Hoon designed this playful library for the Panorama House in South Korea. Incorporating shelving space, a home theatre and seating area, we’re most excited about the wooden slide. Ball pit at the bottom, anyone?
Sallie Trout created this home library, complete with a remote-control abseiling harness suspended from the ceiling. Residents use it to access the shelves, but I’m sure they hang-around and read up there as well.
This outdoor library was a temporary installation in an abbey vineyard as part of an art festival in Belgium. Bookyard was designed by Masimo Bartolini to progress up the gentle slope of the grounds, mirroring the rows of living vines.
And finally, something completely wacky and fun, these wonky bookshelves by Smansk are made of individual plastic sections that can be built-up and taken-down like gigantic lego.
The one thing all these pieces have in common, apart from the fact that they are fab, is that they are utterly impractical for the BGS Library. Just imagine trying to find anything on bright pink wonky shelves, or swirling around the walls! Chaos. Dull as it might seem, we’re all better-off with our garden variety wood stacks. But if you get the urge for something more cutting-edge, head to the product design section at 745 for inspiration.