Stairway(s) to book heaven

groupDCA looks to India’s stepwells as a muse for redesigning a bookstore in Kolkata

07 Mar 2026

Try as he might, Jeff Bezos’s Amazon cannot compensate for the magic of a bookstore in the flesh: the smell of new books multiplied a hundredfold, the crisp sound of freshly printed pages being reverently read, flipped, folded and averred. But when both community and entertainment lie only a button’s press away today, how do you get individuals to venture out of their lonesome bubbles and congregate in a third space? It was this pertinent question that the design firm groupDCA was tasked with when redesigning a 1,000 sq ft bookstore in Kolkata.

The firm responded to this dilemma by retreating to the past for inspiration — and there was plenty to sift through. The Mesopotamians built their homes around a central courtyard. The Romans climbed up social ladders in public baths. And in India, ancient stepwells helped store rainwater, acting as both a rudimentary water reservoir and a space for congregation, prayer and leisure. And what better muse for a compact shell lacking in width, but blessed with a 7-metre-height?

Stairways that interlock and cascade

Space constraints notwithstanding, the library opens up to carefully orchestrated display sections achieved through planning and clever materiality. How? The stepwell-inspired staircase at the heart of the space is the answer. If you’ve been to the Chand Baori stepwell or the Panna Meena ka Kund in Rajasthan, the structure’s interlocking, symmetric diamond-like shapes will trigger an immediate recall. Crafted out of checkered sheets that are merely 25 mm thick, this architectural feat is suspended from the top down rather than bottom up: a strategic intervention that allows better circulation at the ground level, while simultaneously connecting three levels of walkways. Punctuated with low-lying benches, these meandering hallways become a nook of your own, perfect for burrowing your head in a book and letting the world fade away. Sit and read on your own — or run into a fellow bookworm when climbing up or down the interlocking staircases, perfect for striking up a conversation. The bookstore makes space for it all!

All eyes on the pages, please

Envisioned in neutral rubberwood and oakwood, the interiors stand back to let the main curation shine: racks and rows of craft papers slung across cabinets, open bookshelves with spines facing curious eyes, and warm, recessed lighting illuminating these never-ending rows. The mirrored ceiling adds to the magic of the space, creating the illusion of a never-ending tower of books beckoning you forward.

These thoughtful details and interventions ensure that you never stray too far away from the sprawling curation of literature: the true soul and heart of the space. For even if the fantastical worlds contained in their pages remain unattainable, the bookstore can (and will) always push you to dream up magic in the mundane and the ordinary!