“Wow! I didn’t expect her to be so beautiful!”, comments a girl who has just arrived at the Galleria Umberto in Naples for the eagerly awaited opening of the Mondadori Bookstore | BUT. You have enormous spaces and many don’t expect it to be so big, so much so that it looks like a labyrinth of books. It surprises and many like to get lost in the corners of those 1,000 square meters with its 148,000 volumes from the great classics to the best sellers.
You walk through the sections dedicated to Naples or Just Comics, which will make nerds and comics enthusiasts lose their minds due to the vast collection, without being packed like sardines even on that first afternoon of the inauguration, where more than 600 people arrived to crumble in about three hours. Someone is already relaxing and reading a few pages sitting in those comfortable yellow sofas and armchairs, others, however, are already making their first purchases and interacting with the staff, mostly made up of young people.
You wander here and there and discover something new by finding yourself in front of We are Junior which includes children’s books, educational games and illustrated fairy tales to stimulate the imagination of the little ones, while music and cinema enthusiasts hang out in the space dedicated to the selection of CDs, vinyls and DVDs to review titles and artists.
People are already taking the opportunity to try a frugal aperitif at the book buvette which will soon start with wine tastings, becoming the first bookshop in Naples that will organize tastings.
In addition to the traditional book presentations and book signings, events are already in the works that will host the most important figures on the local, national and international artistic scene. Among other things, there could also be cinema presentations and scheduled screenings of films and documentaries.
In short, it has been kept waiting for many months, fascinating those who enter Linreraira with the fusion concept philosophy, inspired by Japanese civilization and translated architecturally with tall furniture that reflects the natural line of the tree trunks, recreating a gallery that envelops the visitor and invites you to breathe in the culture and make it your own, stimulating and satisfying your curiosities. Combined with bonsai and sansevierie – a non-random choice, as they purify the air of benzene -, everything inside the bookcase recalls nature and eco-sustainability: from the lamps to the design accessories, from the architectural choices to the quality of the materials – marine poplar wood and recycled iron, the ecological water-based paints used for the walls are capable of reducing 80% of the free formaldehyde in the environment and the floating floors guarantee a lower environmental impact in the implementation of all systems.
The bookshop overlooks the Salone Margherita Theatre, the historic café-chantant, becoming the favorite object for taking photos and selfies to publish on social media by the bookstore’s patrons. The furnishings, in fact, harmonize with the liberty atmosphere of the place, respecting the architectural elements of the time and combining them with the MA corporate philosophy: eco friendly, smart and young. The philosophical concept of Japanese origin can be interpreted as an interval.
“The Gallery project represents the maximum expression of our philosophy: placing culture and art, in all expressive forms, at the center of nature and bringing it as close as possible to people, especially young people. The goal is to give this deep emotion and leave everyone free in their own paths and cultural choices, but also, vice versa, to rely on and be advised by our trained staff of booksellers. Naples is the ideal city for this ambitious project as Neapolitans are passionate readers”, declares Antonio Serpe, chief retail officer of the Mondadori Bookstore | MA Italia bookshops.
Closing after less than 24 hours
Everything is perfect to welcome people who might come from Mondandori every day from 10am to 8pm | BUT also for free coworking hubs and reading spaces reserved for reading and study like any place with a self-respecting international vocation and ambition has within its walls. It is no coincidence that Mondadori |MA wants to be well beyond a bookshop, but has the objective of becoming a cultural center accessible and usable by the entire Neapolitan community also thanks to the rich calendar of events which offers, right from the start, some important names from the world of culture.
The citizens are sincerely enthusiastic about this new opening. In this first weekend, many would have liked to take the opportunity to spend their free time, but it’s a shame that they were disappointed when they found their doors closed.
Less than 24 hours after the inauguration, the temporary closure came as a surprise. No detailed explanations were given regarding the reasons for this sudden stop.
The official version given by the Mondadori group | BUT it was decided to close temporarily due to technical problems that arose and, therefore, the management preferred to deal with the situation by closing for a few more days to carry out conclusive checks.
