S: Is for sustainable

Is reading next to Godliness? Well, if it wasn't before, it is now. This old Dominican church now contains the keys to enlightenment. After months of renovation this magnificent structure constructed in 1294 has opened its doors to the public as a bookstore in the heart of Maastricht in the Netherlands. Now this historic architecture is ripe with information. In the 13th century, the structure was a Dominican church until Napoleon invaded. Since then, it has been a parish, a warehouse, an archive and a giant parking lot for bicycles. The architecture firm Merkx + Girod, are the geniuses behind this resurrection. In a bit of humor the bookstore also installed a cross-shaped reading table where anyone can sit and flip through the magazines and newspapers kept in the slats of the table. The design has won the Lensvelt de Architect Interior Prize. The book store is owed by Selexyz Dominicanen and maintains a wide selection of books across all subjects, even boasting a sizable collection of books in English. As more and more churches are being abandoned due to redundancy, maybe this is something for Barnes and Noble to think about. Can you image St. Patrick's as the newest reading spot? If God has a sense of humor that could soon be a F.A.C.T.