When Books-A-Million decided to launch their used books division, 2nd & Charles, they approached ArchitectureWorks to help develop a prototype for the stores. The concept for the roll-out is to reuse ‘dark’ retail spaces, and minimally retrofit them using the brand identity and found objects in a new and surprising way.
In every store development ArchitectureWorks looks for opportunities for both innovative design and cost savings, but we were able to take it a step further for these stores. We developed multiple iterations of light fixtures, benches, displays, and graphics by building full-scale mockups at both the office and the construction site. The centerpiece of each location is a floor-to-ceiling sign, created using thousands of remainder books that are artfully arranged to read “2nd & Charles.”
