One of the best bookshops in the world has been revamped

Estonia’s largest bookstore, Rahva Raamat in Viru Keskus, has recently undergone a thorough renovation and is now even more spacious than before.

“Rahva Raamat’s flagship store in the Viru Keskus shopping centre has an entirely new appearance, with a much more spacious and fresh design just in time for Christmas,” said Priit Peterson, CEO of Rahva Raamat. With numerous accolades to its name, the largest bookstore in Estonia already enjoys a high level of recognition. With its status as the flagship store for Rahva Raamat, it has had the largest selection of goods and attracted the biggest number of visitors for years. “Since we are committed to providing our guests with a great bookstore experience, we made what is already among the best bookstores in the world even better,” Peterson added.

The biggest change is that the bookstore, which formerly occupied two floors, now occupies a single floor while being even more spacious and impressive. As the store is consolidated into a single area of the same size, browsing through the various departments is now easier and more convenient. The renewed bookstore will also delight visitors with the new Literaat Café, known to reading enthusiasts from the Literaat restaurant adjoining the Telliskivi bookstore.

“In designing the new bookstore, we were hoping to create something original, warm, exciting, cosy and full of nice surprises for our beloved customers,” Peterson said. “I believe that together with our own experienced team and the expertise of other industry leaders, we have achieved our goals, as the store is truly outstanding.” The interior design was done by architects at UDDU, led by Mari Koger-Otsa, while design agency Velvet was responsible for the environmental graphics.

Much of the newly created space is devoted to books, particularly fiction, which is the favourite category among readers. Rahva Raamat now boasts the most comprehensive selection of English and Russian literature in the country. The store’s impressive selection of fashion and design books has also received a prominent display. In addition to books, the shop also offers a wide range of gifts, games, toys, films, CDs and vinyl records. The bookstore also has a stage where literary events can be held, bringing together writers, book lovers and representatives from other cultural fields.

The Rahva Raamat in Viru Keskus opened its doors in 2004. In 2016, the shop was voted one of the world’s best bookstores at the London Book Fair. There is only one other bookstore in Estonia that has been bestowed with such a title – the Old Town Rahva Raamat just a few hundred metres away.

Photoes by Andres Teiss / Rahva Raamat