Architecture firm Merkx + Girod designed this contemporary bookstore housed in a 13th century Dominican cathedral in Maastricht, Holland. The branch of Dutch bookstore chain Selexyz provides a new function for the heritage location and fuses contemporary design features with the historical structure.

The cathedral, which was built in 1294, now features three-story bookshelves in its open spaces, a café with a long cross-shaped table, and minimal lighting to preserve the space’s integrity.

Click through the photos below to see the bookstore’s interior:

Merkx + Girod

Photos by Evelyne Merkx