Sonia Rykiel's novel pop-up store concept - created by Julie de Libran, Thomas Lenthal and artist André Saraïva - pays homage to Boulevard Saint-Germain's local history with over 50,000 books.
Purely in visual terms, the repetition of the pale wood shelving from floor to ceiling becomes a dimensional nod to the signature Rykiel stripes.
The arrangement of the paperbacks is novel, too. The titles seem to advance and recede like ridged patterning. Along corners, the covers face outward as if following the curvature of the artisan-built library.
The pop-up concept pays tribute to the Left Bank, the famed pocket of Paris best known for its rich history and popular haunt for writers, artists, auteurs and their overlapping social circles.
As a concept, the store presents a salient commentary on what's happening around the store, namely, that the venerable booksellers are gradually disappearing.
