A 15th-century church in the north of the Netherlands turns bookshop Waanders In de Broeren into a Mecca for bibliophiles.

Bookshops are flexible things and can be found in a wide variety of settings, but the trend towards siting them in churches is something that tends to be found in the Netherlands, and one of the best examples is in the northern city of Zwolle.

Here, architectural practice BK Architecten has created Waanders In de Broeren, a bookshop in a 15th-century church that has 1,000 sq m of retail, 200 sq m set aside for dining and 120 sq m used as exhibition space.

The effect of spreading the retail offer across three floors, largely around the perimeter, is that the sense of space and height in the interior is maintained, and the original purpose as a place of worship is retained, albeit the objects of veneration are the books.

Good use has also been made of the light provided by the Gothic windows and the fact that the walls are white, which enhances this.

Bookshops tend to be places where shoppers spend time, and this is an environment in which doing so becomes part of the pleasure of browsing.

Photos: Hans Westerink and Joop Van Putten