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Rare Books in the Press - Perfect for bibliophiles! 15th Century cathedral is transformed into a book shop

07 November 2013
"For ardent bibliophiles, a shopping trip to this book shop must be close to a spiritual experience. Broerenkerk, the famed 15th century Dominican church in Zwolle, Netherlands, has been transformed into a stunning modern book store. Architects BK. Architecten were allowed to radically redesign the interior of the 547-year-old Gothic building on the strict condition they left the original features, such as the pipe organ, stained glass windows and decor intact." Read the whole story in The Daily Mail.

“For ardent bibliophiles, a shopping trip to this book shop must be close to a spiritual experience. Broerenkerk, the famed 15th century Dominican church in Zwolle, Netherlands, has been transformed into a stunning modern book store. Architects BK. Architecten were allowed to radically redesign the interior of the 547-year-old Gothic building on the strict condition they left the original features, such as the pipe organ, stained glass windows and decor intact.

…

The architects said: 'We wanted all the additions made to the church to be sober, in respect to the church, modest.' They have now incorporated more than 700 square meters of shopping space - including a restaurant. The Broerenkerk church was part of the Dominican monastery founded in 1465. The monastery was closed in 1580 and the monks were expelled. From 1640 until 1982 the church was used for Protestant services. After a restoration in 1983 to 1988 it served as a venue for cultural events.”

Read the whole story including beautiful pictures in The Daily Mail:


>>> Perfect for bibliophiles! 15th Century cathedral is transformed into a book shop