Knjižara Verbum
The spaces that architects and designers love to work on the most often turn out to be the most challenging projects.
Our great enthusiasm and love for books motivated us to take on this task.
The brief was very specific: to create a bookstore that feels serious and spiritual, yet at the same time approachable and contemporary. We wanted to avoid all the common traps of over-decoration—being overly charming, cluttered, or overloaded with additional products that could distract from the essence of the space.
The focus had to remain on the books themselves, so the concept of the space became a book. Clear, engaging “covers” were translated into the floor and ceiling elements—features that invite you to step inside, dive in, and lose yourself among the colorful spines, staying as long as possible to read and explore.
With light walnut, bold surfaces of shelves and tables, we balanced the seriousness of the brand with the warmth that books naturally bring into a space. The ceiling grid was softened with round pendant lights, which provide even, pleasant illumination and create an inviting atmosphere for reading and browsing.
The deep, muted red was designed as a subtle variation of the brand color, contrasted against the almost-white woven vinyl flooring and wooden finishes of the shelving, wall panels, and tables. By shaping the space through the ceiling, floor, and perimeter shelves, we have essentially bound a story into this interior—one that, we hope, every book lover will be eager to open and explore.
The project was collaboration with Sperto spaces, and photos by: Luka Barković
