Hillside verses

When Qian went to the deserted mine to choose the location for his new bookshop, he was immediately attracted by two dilapidated redbrick kilns.

Abandoned for years, the outside of the kilns was covered by green vines and wild grass in stark contrast with the bricks' color, which was conspicuous in the ruins.

The area inside the kilns seemed narrow to him, but when he looked up the wall stretched steeply upward to a small open space at the top, it gave him hope, he says.

Qian says the site represents the fusion of nature, history and industry. In its plain look is a perseverance to move forward and reach for the future, which fits the spirit of rebuilding in the ruins, he says.

The architect Yang Zhijiang kept the original two redbrick kilns that are more than 20 meters tall, and built a new building, which leans on the hill.

Yang divided the building into three spaces, trying to keep its historical sense while also presenting a refreshing experience for visitors.

"It's Librairie Avant-Garde's first bookshop built on an industrial ruin, which gives the shop a historical temperature, representing an avant-garde spirit," Yang said at the opening ceremony on April 17.

"We hope this bookshop will create more opportunities for people to communicate with each other, slow down and think, and promote cultural exchanges," Qian says.

Apart from space for books and reading, the branch has independent exhibition and screen spaces. Its first exhibition, The Portraits of Souls: Works by Chen Yu, is now on at the new store.

"A good space interacts positively with excellent works and will appear different for audiences. When you go to see the works on your own, the effect will be different from that when you see the works together with many other people," says Hui Wenshu, curator of the exhibition.