SZ Book City Bay Area Store to open Sept. 26

The Shenzhen Book City Bay Area Store — dubbed the "Eye of the Bay Area" for its double‑jade‑plate design concept — will officially open to the public Sept. 26, according to Chinese‑language media reports.

A computer-generated image of the Shenzhen Book City Bay Area Store. Courtesy of "前海深圳"

Once operational, the facility in Bao'an District will become the world’s largest brick‑and‑mortar bookstore. Covering a site area of 66,000 square meters, the bookstore's two above‑ground levels and two underground floors boast a total floor area of over 130,000 square meters. 

The building adopts an open architectural design centered on an uninterrupted walking route along a central axis. More than 74% of the bookstore’s floor space is below ground, allowing cultural activities to extend beyond enclosed structures and seamlessly integrate with the city’s underground Metro system.

The project won the Platinum Prize at the MUSE Design Awards in 2024, one of the most prestigious honors in the design world.

The complex houses a themed bookstore, a Bay Area folk customs museum, exhibition spaces, and a cultural exchange platform. The extensive underground area includes public reading zones, parent‑child activity spaces, a theater, a cultural performance hall, and various support facilities. 

Designed as a multicultural service platform, the store emphasizes knowledge services, promotes reading, and aims to strengthen the cultural identity of the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Bay Area folk customs museum will showcase the traditions and folk customs of the Lingnan region and the broader Greater Bay Area. Organizers expect the venue to host more than 1,000 cultural events and attract over 10 million visitors each year.

Metro: Line 5 to Baohua Station (宝华站), Exit A.