Starbucks Japan linked two traditions of the intellegent people—the process of enjoying good coffee and reading books. The company collaborated with Japanese design studio Nendo to create a pop-up coffee shop inTokyo designed like a library.

Photo: Starbucks Nendo pop-up shop, by Daici Ano, clickable

The shop was launched in September in the Omotesando neighborhood and remained on-site for three weeks. Roomy and light, the interior featured floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with books with nine different colored covers—all in coffee hues. The books represented each of the drinks being served at Starbucks.

Customers could order drinks by taking books to the counter and then read about the sorts of coffee from the cover sleeves of the books. The books were empty inside. With the cup of coffee, each customer received a sleeve to customize their own Starbucks takeaway flask, says Dezeen.

This summer, Starbucks introduced the EarthSleeve allowing reduction in overall material usage.

 “The ‘library’ invites visitors to choose an espresso drink as they would a book, and verse themselves in espresso drinks as though quietly entering into a fictional world,” said Nendo. “Books and coffee are both important parts of everyday life, so we created a link between favorite books and favorite coffees.”

Photos: Starbucks Nendo pop-up shop, by Daici Ano, clickable

Photo: Starbucks books, by Hiroshi Iwasaki