KID’S REPUBLIC
Minoru Iwasaki

KID’S REPUBLIC

SAKO Architects as Architects

The colored ribbon surrounding the space and circling around the space, these two types of colored ribbon make a place to cultivate children’s curiosity.


KID’S REPUBLIC in Beijing is composed of an event room on the first floor and a picture book store on the second floor. The event room on the first floor is a rainbow space connected by 12 colored rings with different perimeters. Activities like story telling sessions and animation shows are periodically held here. The section gaps on floor, wall and ceiling are processed as illumination or display case, the section gaps on the floor are also used as stage and auditorium. Carpets are paved with the room and children can sit and lie down on the floor freely.


Along the stairs, the children can enter into a world of picture book on the second floor, seven colored ribbon starts from the hall and goes up along the stairs till the bookstore. This 100-meter-long colored ribbon winds and twists in the store and finally transforms into armrest of the stairs and turns back to the first floor.


The front cover of the picture book has a rich and bright color, compared with those bookstores selling professional book, the collection of many picture books can produce a cheerful space. No orderly bookshelves can be found here, children can sit in their favoured places and read the picture books at their pleasure. The colored ribbon starting from the stairs twists and winds in the store, the place within its reach becomes bookshelf, table, gate, checkout counter and ceiling, and finally goes back to armrest of the stairs.


Different sizes of holes are designed on the surrounding bookshelves, making them not only windows to pass internal and external information, but also reading spaces for the children. The scenery of children’s sitting and reading here not only decorates the elevation of the store, but also reminds people on the outside the delightful store at a glance.


Interior design generally classifies the floor, wall, ceiling and furniture. It is an easy way to sort out articles and establish a certain order in the adult world. The design here cancels all of these. Sensible children don’t need these. There is no separation for them between reading and playing. I tried to design here as well, more intuitive and free.

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