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Collection by Jacqueline Leahy
Editor’s Pick

Innovative Outdoor Libraries in Russia

Three ‘book-objects’ created by Alexander and Daria Kudmova Butahinoy of the Moscow-based Ruetemple Architectural Studio offer ways to store books and save space. Furnishing the outdoor, public space of Park Muzeon and its Bauman Garden, these ‘objects’ reimagine the book’s natural habitat while offering shelter to books and booklovers alike.

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A suspended skylight, the glass awning lets readers (like this one) peruse the shelves from above. Repurposing the typical glass doors of the bookcase carries fantasy from the shelves. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
A suspended skylight, the glass awning lets readers (like this one) peruse the shelves from above. Repurposing the typical glass doors of the bookcase carries fantasy from the shelves. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Enticed by the bookstand’s offerings, one reader picks and chooses, casually using the awning as a sunshade. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Enticed by the bookstand’s offerings, one reader picks and chooses, casually using the awning as a sunshade. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Constructed in Moscow’s Park Muzeon for Archiwood and Office 17, the book pavilion accommodates those with larger libraries, offering walls of shelf space. Extending from the covered space of the pavilion, walls of shelving provide readers with privacy both in and out of doors. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Constructed in Moscow’s Park Muzeon for Archiwood and Office 17, the book pavilion accommodates those with larger libraries, offering walls of shelf space. Extending from the covered space of the pavilion, walls of shelving provide readers with privacy both in and out of doors. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Thirsting for more than knowledge? Moving beyond books, the pavilion features a bar for those who fancy a nightcap after that next page. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Thirsting for more than knowledge? Moving beyond books, the pavilion features a bar for those who fancy a nightcap after that next page. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
This outdoor bench-bibliotheque brings new meaning to the phrase ‘surrounded by books.’ Promising to bring intellectuals outdoors, this gazebo features a small table for lunch or tea, and easy-to-clean slatted wooden floors. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
This outdoor bench-bibliotheque brings new meaning to the phrase ‘surrounded by books.’ Promising to bring intellectuals outdoors, this gazebo features a small table for lunch or tea, and easy-to-clean slatted wooden floors. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
The fogged glass walls of the book bench insulate as well as illuminate so readers can find their favorites anytime of year. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
The fogged glass walls of the book bench insulate as well as illuminate so readers can find their favorites anytime of year. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Breaking the boundaries between park and library, Ruetemple’s book-objects invite the quiet crowds in a Moscow park to escape the mundane. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.
Breaking the boundaries between park and library, Ruetemple’s book-objects invite the quiet crowds in a Moscow park to escape the mundane. Photo courtesy of Ruetemple Architectural Studio.