Dominican book store, Maastricht
The Dominican Church, near the Vrijthof in Maastricht, was no longer in use as a church since the end of the 18th century and has had various functions since that time. In 2006 the building has been restored and 'converted' to a Selexyz bookstore. The paintings in the Church, including a fourteenth-century fresco and early seventeenth-century vault paintings are also restored and integrated in the bookstore.
To increase the retail area the architect choose to create an 'apartment building' for books, a monumental walk-in book-closet with two floors consisting of 2 bookshelves of 30 metres long and 7.5 meters high. This construction is placed asymmetrically in the Church. This keeps the full height of the Church on the left side intact while the people can climb to the top floor on the right side.
The 'book building' also has an elevator, stairs and two integrated workplaces. In the apse is a café decorated with a small 'stage'.
