Bookshops may be the only retail center that people love to go to just for the atmosphere. They just have a magic other types of shops don’t. Big or small, new or old, it is possible to second hours in a bookshop. It turns out some bookshop owners are quite imaginative, almost like the books that they sell.
This article features 5 unique bookshops, located in the most unusual and unlikely locations!
1. Words on the Water, London, England
Location: 1920s Dutch barge on Regent’s Canal
This quaint floating bookshop was founded by Paddy Screech, Jonathan Privett, and Stephane Chaudat nearly a decade ago.
Initially, the shop alternated locations due to canal regulations, but after breaking the rules and squatting in the same location for 6 months, the canal trust relented and agreed to give Words on the Water its permanent spot.
2. El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Location: Historic Theater in Buenos Aires
The lovely Grand Splendid was built in 1919 and served as a performing art theater, a cinema, and now – a bookstore.
The building’s reincarnation as a bookstore actually saved it from destruction in 2000, as it was scheduled to be torn down just before the popular book chain Grupo Ilhsa decided to lease it. The musical roots of the Grand Splendid aren’t completely lost either, as it often holds live piano performances.
3. The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, California
Location: Former bank
The marble pillars and mile-high ceiling remain from the old bank, but the walls of this store are now lined with artful displays of books. And artful is not just a phrase.
Used and damaged books have been stacked in a variety of creative ways, a selection of hardbacks has been arranged by color rather than author, and bookshelves have been randomly placed throughout the store – making it perfectly designed for exploration. If you look in the back you may notice an old bank vault, which is now stocked with books.
4. Libreria Acqua Alta, Venice, Italy
Location: Floating Over Venice’s Canals
The name of the store translates into “Book Store of High Water”. Being located in Venice, the store had to face frequent floods from the canals, so the owners came up with an original solution.
The book collections are stored in waterproof basins, bathtubs, and even a gondola that floats during a flood. This is far from being the only whimsical touch; the steps leading outside are made of water-damaged books and the “fire escape” is a door leading into the canal.
5. Atlantis Books, Santorini, Greece
Location: A Cave House
It all began with two English college students, Oliver and Craig, who spent their summer holidays on the picturesque Greek isle of Santorini in 2002. Inspired by the beauty of the place and after drinking a considerable amount of wine, the two decided they should open a book store there. And so they did.
After graduating in 2004, the two gathered a group of like-minded friends, and the whole gang drove from London across Europe to Santorini. The shop, Atlantis Books, has been open ever since and the owners have joked that one day their children would run it.
