Marcella Hansch Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht Bookstore Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht Bookstore

Complesso di Santa Croce Address: Dominicanerkerkstraat 1 City: Maastricht Region: Limburg Country: Paesi Bassi Continent: Europa

The client is a large Dutch bookseller with stores in most major cities on key locations, often in remarkable buildings. In Maastricht, the site for the intervention was the earliest Gothic Church in the Netherlands, a pure and powerful space with remnants of important frescos

The church was once served as a parking garage for bicycles!

The contemporary building interior of the Bookstore Selexyz Dominicanen was designed by Merkx+Girod architects in Maastricht, Netherlands for the Dutch booksellers Selexyz Dominicanen. Merkx+Girod were commissioned by the Dutch booksellers to convert the interior of the former Dominican Church in Maastricht into a modern bookstore. For the same client M+G had previously designed two bookstores in The Hague and Almere. The unique location in Maastricht however asked for a very different approach. The store demanded 1,200 sq m of commercial area where only 750 were available. The initial idea of the client to install a second floor within the church was rejected by the designers, because this would completely destroy the spatial qualities of the church. The solution was found in the creation of a monumental walk-in bookcase spanning several floors and situated a-symmetrically in the church. In doing so the left side of the church remained empty while on the other side customers are lead upstairs in the three- storey ‘ Bookflat. ’

In response to the brief‘s requierement of the development of more than twice the available surface, the design solution was based on the organisation of the extra space on two floors, posititioned asymmetrically as a giant steel „bookcase“ in order to maintain the main sight lines in the nave. Never touching the church, the construction- which uses perforated steel sheets where possible to increase its transparency and incorporates the lightning system- folds itself alongside the colums, with stairways inside and cantillivered floors putside. The enlarged basement houses the installations and services in this way, the project fulfils the programme and at the same time allows for experiencing the breathtaking space of this marvellous church.

The 800-year-old church has been turned into what could possibly be the most beautiful bookshop of all time. It retains the character and charm of the old church, while being fitted with a minimalist and modern interior design that overcomes any suggestion of fustiness.

The ground floor gives room to several different book displays, information desks, magazine-stands and cash registers, all made of standard sheet materials in different colours and surfaces. The Dutch architects Merkx + Girod have won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize 2007 for their Boekhandel.

The upper floors, which are soon to become accessible to the public, will certainly offer a spectacular view of the premises

At the back of the church clients and visitors can sit and admire the beautifully renovated ceiling frescoes, while enjoying a nice warm cup of tea or coffee and watch the exhibitions around the choir …

The inner part of the choir is used as well as a space for temporary exhibitions for differents kind of paintings.

Model of the church with the different levels of the „bookcase“

Model of the church and the interiour bookcase.