The Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht is a bookstore inside a Gothic church. The Dominican Order consecrated the church in 1294. Napoleon's army confiscated it in 1794, ending its religious use. It later served as a town archive, a warehouse and a place to store bicycles.
Merkx+Girod Architecten of Amsterdam converted it for Boekhandels Groep Nederland, working from 2005 to 2007. The client needed about 1,200 square meters (12,900 square feet) of selling space, and the church floor covers about 750 square meters (8,100 square feet). A walk-in bookcase of black steel on the right side of the nave supplied the extra levels.
The bookcase wraps the original stone columns, with stairs leading up to it. On the left side, the nave keeps its full height, with low tables and thematic book islands. The frescoes on the vaults remain, and a chandelier hangs above the cafe. The architects won the Lensvelt de Architect prize in 2007.
This building has no Wikipedia article. Facts come from Archilovers, Architectureguide.nl.
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