Best Architecture and Design Bookstores
I have been obsessed with design books since I was little. I was probably the only 10 year old in my hometown who stalked the local Barnes and Noble for the newest architecture and design books. With many more years of shopping under my belt since then, I could probably open my own bookstore with as much as I read. These are some of the stores I tend to shop at the most.
Hennessey + Ingalls. Located across the street from Sci-ARC School of Architecture in Los Angeles, this store has been a staple in my life for three decades. I would browse the books weekly in their former location on 3rd St. in Santa Monica and stalk when they would have their annual 20% off sale. All of the architects in town would convene at the store that day and it was the best day of the year. They still have that sale, and so, so many books. Monographs, technical books, theory, professional practice, magazines — really anything a designer could want. And that’s just the architecture side. They also have photography, interiors, fashion, film and fine art books.
William Stout Architectural Books. This shop is located in San Francisco and they keep us updated on the latest and greatest books through their weekly email. I look forward to seeing what is new each week. I have place many orders with them and the packages come expertly wrapped in multiple layers of bubble wrap and brown paper. Whoever does the wrapping has an impeccable eye for detail and probably wraps all birthday gifts for everyone they know.
Strand Bookstore. Located in New York City, this bookstore has been in business for 95 years. They sell every genre of books, both new and used. If you are looking for something rare or out of print, this is a great place to check. They seem to have everything. I took my family there while we were visiting the city and they had several Frank Gehry books that I had not seen before. I got to impress my kids with flipping through the pages and finding my name credited on some of the pages. They couldn’t believe my name was in this cool store in NYC. None of us wanted to leave! They are also known for their Strand Tote bags and collaborate with authors and artists to create new designs all of the time.
Arcana Books. Another Los Angeles staple, this store has a lot of rare and out of print books, in addition to new ones. I found a Gehry bent-ply furniture book here and couldn’t believe it. The aesthetic of the store is a designer’s dream and you will not want to leave. They also hold events and book signings that cannot be missed. This is definitely worth a stop if you are in the LA area. It is next door to the Room and Board store, so you can easily spend the entire day right there.
My local art museum holds a book sale from their library each year. I think many do the same so you should check into that for your area too. There are always hidden gems at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Abe Books, Thriftbooks and Books a Million too.
Some of my current favorites can be found on my books tab here too.
Happy shopping!! Let me know what you find!
Do cool things,
Lisa. x
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