Reading Mi Cafe – Weifeng
PANORAMA Design Group designed Reading Mi Cafe – Weifeng in Weifang, Shandong, China, shaping an inward-facing cultural sanctuary with minimalist frameworks inspired by kites and a courtyard-like plan that balances open gathering areas with quiet reading nooks.
Established in 1991, Reading Mi is one of China’s most influential chain cultural brands. More than a venue for book retail, it operates as a composite cultural experience destination for urban middle class families, devoted to building warm, vibrant cultural precincts.
Situated inside a brand new shopping complex in Weifang, Shandong, the Weifang outpost of Reading Mi is jointly developed by China Overseas Land & Investment and Shenzhen Friendship Book City Co., Ltd. PANORAMA Design Group delivered the complete spatial design. Amid the bustle of the commercial complex, the project seeks to craft an inward facing cultural sanctuary for the soul, honouring the irreplaceable humanistic value of physical cultural spaces in the digital era.
The Chinese character “覔 (Mi)” originates from classical ancient Chinese, signifying exploration, pursuit and wisdom, carrying philosophical reflections on life: discovering authenticity within blankness and the unseen. This underpins Reading Mi’s quiet, profound spiritual brand identity.
Adopting “Amid Kites · Wind Through the Book Grove” as its core design theme, the project draws inspiration from Weifang’s city symbol — kites. Rejecting literal figurative ornamentation, it employs taut modern minimalist frameworks to interpret the ethereal lightness of kites soaring in the sky.
The spatial layout references the enclosed typology of traditional Weifang siheyuan courtyards, organised along a central symmetrical axis. Bookshelves form centripetal enclosures, generating layered spaces that balance openness and privacy: expansive public zones for social gathering alongside sheltered nooks for solitary contemplation, offering city dwellers a spiritual retreat. The design realises an immersive, sensory rich environment with soul healing qualities, enabling visitors to explore, read, converse and unwind — fulfilling Reading Mi’s brand mission of “exploration and pursuit”.
Design: PANORAMA Design Group
Design Team: Yin Yeqing, Chen Yafang, Lian Congda, Zhong Zhanyu
Photography: POPO VISION
