Point to Life: Designs on Bridge 8.5

Shanghai's little slice of designer heaven just got a little fatter. Bridge 8, the creative compound that houses 4 Live and what some respected critics say is the best steak in town, has reached its artsy tentacles across the street in an expansion that will see some real estate open up for new and existing tenants. One of those is the new Point to Life bookstore, with a collection dedicated entirely to the rich category of design.

Shanghaiist was at the store's crowded grand opening last Thursday night, which also featured designer and writer Alan Zie Yongder (Chinese only) signing copies of the latest collection of his Modern Weekly (also Chinese only) columns, "Information" (生活事见).

We felt special after being told that most of the attendees were eminent denizens of the local commercial art world (and we felt even more special after that second glass of wine). Given that our previous exposure to design-related literature was limited to the occasional selection at Chaterhouse and those lining the wall at Arch, we were happy to see a relatively diverse collection of both Chinese and English books and magazines focusing on architecture, interior and graphic design, and fashion (just to name a few). There were even a few copies of the latest U.S. version of FHM magazine thrown in there for good measure, though we're not entirely sure of its relevance to the general theme of the store (and frankly don't really care).

Point to Life doesn't occupy a particularly large space, and with the bookshelves relegated to the back of the store to make room for the crowd, the volume of books didn't appear to be overwhelming. Still, it's always cool to see places open up that target unique segments of the community and make niche resources available to those seeking them. Now if only they'd throw in some lounge chairs for those of us looking for a cool space to roll up with the most up-to-date FHM architecture journals.

Point to Life Bookstore is located directly across from the Bridge 8 complex, Block 9, No. 8, Jianguo Zhong Road.

Image by youyoutwo2006.