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view towards freestanding steel bookcase
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detail interior
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view onto coffee cafe and reading table at former altar of church
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view towards elevator inside freestanding steel bookcase
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plan drawing groundflooor
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section drawing
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interior view along axis of church
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exterior view
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Bookstore Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht
Merkx+Girod Architects. Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Name of work in English
Bookstore Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht
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Name of work in original language
Boekhandel Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht
Prize year
EUmies Awards 2009
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Work Location
Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Studio
Merkx+Girod Architects
EUmies Awards 2009 Shortlisted
Collaborators
Others: Satijn Plus Restauration Architects, Born, The Netherlands; Construction company: BAM Utiliteitsbouw, Maastricht, The Netherlands, De Staalfabriek, Venlo, The Netherlands; Engineering: Castermans Engineers, Gronsveld, The Netherlands; Electrical: HVL B.V., Eindhoven, The Netherlands; Lighting: Ansorg, oude kerk a/d Amstel, The Netherlands; Furniture: Keijsers, Horst, The Netherlands
Program
Commerce
Completion
2007
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. In response to the briefs' requirement 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, positioned 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 lighting system & folds itself alongside the columns, with stairways inside and cantilevered floors outside. 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.