Shelf-Pod: The House of Bookshelves

If you’ve ever found yourself agonizing between two well-beloved books simply because you do not have space on your shelves, then perhaps you should think of hiring the Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio. The Japanese architect is the mind behind Shelf-Pod, a house made of bookshelves. From the architect’s website:

Shelf-Pod is a private residence and study building, located in Osaka prefecture, Japan. The client owns an extensive collection of books on the subject of Islamic history, so he requested that we create this building with the maximum capacity for its storage and exhibition.

While highly functional, the shelves are also a design motif, covering the windows in some places and continuing into the bathroom. Drawing from traditional Japanese design, Islamic arcitecture, and taking into account the concerns of earthquakes, the end result is a surprisingly cozy looking space.

(Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio via Neatorama)