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Magical Urbanism, a website about urbanization, design and social change, is maintained by Mike Ernst. I'm an urban planner and designer based in San Francisco. I am a graduate of the Masters of City Planning program at UC Berkeley.

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Manhattan’s Sideways Cafe

Fast Company recently featured the Manhattan coffeeshop D’Espresso, which is designed to look like a library flipped on it’s side:

The “books” are actually tiles printed with sepia-toned photos of bookshelves at a local travel bookstore that ring the room, including the floor, walls and ceiling. In addition to painting unusual surfaces with intriguing patterns — whoa, you’re standing on books! — it gives an Alice in Wonderland-esque sense that the room has been suddenly upended.

I’m going to have to check this place out the next time I’m in New York City.

Link to nemaworkshop, the website of the firm who made this nifty design.

One Response to “Manhattan’s Sideways Cafe”

Tuesday Gutierrez says:
July 5, 2011 at 6:20 am
This is amazing! There’s no place for e-books in this cafe

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