In the retail scene, pop-up shops have been trending for some time now. These temporary establishments often enjoy viral publicity as patrons share details on social media. Furthermore, it seems sales are often beyond expectations — probably because of FOMO (fear of missing out). With this in mind, the La Libreria scales things up in a spectacular way.
This unique lightweight structure is one of several entries at the 2025 Biennale Architettura. Like it says, the exhibition in Venice, Italy, is held every other year to showcase the creativity of the world’s best architects. Reports also tell us the portable haven for bibliophiles is a submission by Diller Scofidio + Renfro.
The studio, headquartered in New York, openly shares details about the La Libreria. According to the project’s official page, it is a concept by Diane von Furstenberg. Next, it is then brought to life by the team, along with Transsolar, Tillotson Design Associates, and Schlaich Bergermann Partner.
Drawing inspiration from sculptural tensegrity experiments by Robert Le Ricolais — a prominent French engineer. Many consider him one of several people who are behind the principle of spatial structure. A transparent fiber-reinforced textile — Structural Transparent Fluorinated Envelope(STFE) — drapes over a 79-foot-long tensegrity beam.
What keeps the synthetic skin taught are sections of the frame where rivets and cords secure it in place. Moreover, the La Libreria exclusively relies on the weight of the book and ballasts to keep it where it should be. If you find this fascinating, keep in mind the event remains open to the public only until November 23, 2025.
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Images courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro
