Library is where Lampoon documents and reviews the cultural and creative landscape.
From bookstores to hotels, perfumes to museums, and artistic spaces, each review observes what works and what doesn’t. The focus is on experience and context:
how places, objects, and projects function, how they shape ideas and environments. Lampoon Library isn’t a guide or a catalog — it’s a tool to explore culture critically.
Readers follow the magazine’s investigations, discovering spaces and products through sharp, direct observations.
The Library collects reviews that map the intersection of creativity, design, and everyday life, showing how culture is lived and produced, without gloss or exaggeration.
Library
Fashion Room: International Fashion Magazines & Books in Florence
With branches near the main Florence fair centre and the textile district in Prato, Fashion Room caters for both fashion students and professionals
Artphilein, Lugano. A theatrical display of art publishing
«At a bookshop you can see the final product, not the research and experimentation behind it». In conversation with Curator Giulia Brivio
IGOR Libreria, Bologna. An LGBTQ+ sanctuary in the city of the niche
«In Italy, Bologna stands out for its civic sense. It’s the ideal city for a niche, LGBTQ+-themed bookstore like ours»
Cohen + Dobernigg Buchhandel, Hamburg: Green Practices Through Bookselling
Alongside their team of staff members, Cohen and Dobernigg have sculpted their bookstore to be a supplier and motivator to the dissemination of literary goods in the area, and in...
Mostyn Gallery, North Wales. Being at the periphery of the art market is a blessing
Llandudno, a seaside town. Lady Augusta Mostyn gave the first donation – in 2010, the gallery reopened its doors after a £5 million refurbishment
MENDO, Amsterdam: From a 2002 Hotel Niche to a 20-Year Literary Landmark
Located within CoffeeConcepts, MENDO offers an intimate space—its mini MENDO—to discover visually striking books covering art, photography, fashion, and beyond
Daniel and Sam Kapp represent queer culture at Kapp Kapp Gallery, New York
Daniel and Sam Kapp are conscious about their social privileges. Choosing to show queer art means to support queer people
Gloria Intertwines a Dialogue Between Milan and Paris
This design concept integrates traditional Milanese architecture with French bohemian accents, highlighted by floral designs, vintage chandeliers, and dynamic ceramic pieces
Public Records, Brooklyn: vegan food and sound rooms connected by architecture
Shane Davis and Francis Harris met in 2017 and quickly decided to establish Public Records, a place that goes beyond restoration and became part of the community
Tipi Bookshop: a metaphor brought to life in Brussels
'Tipi' from the word ‘Teepee’, a conical-shaped tent used as shelter by Native American individuals. Owner Andrea Copetti explains, "I adopted the name as it fit with what I intended...
Umamma, San Miniato. A spot purchased online from a website that sold second-hand goods
Giovanni Settesoldi preserves the integrity of culture in the village of San Miniato with the renovation of a 600-year-old property under the superintendence of Fine Arts
Copenhagen Contemporary. Designing art projects in the 7,000-square-foot of the B&W welding hall
In contrast with many art centers and institutions which implemented digital strategies to overcome the challenges imposed by the pandemic, Contemporary remains phisical
Leporello, Rome. The process of perfecting bookselling
How can a small bookstore survive under the pressure of online retailers? Owners must develop strategies to slip from the grip of online retailers, offering that which cannot be bought...
A contemporary architecture recognized by UNESCO in 2004 – Casa Luis Barragán, Mexico
The only individual property in Latin America recognised by UNESCO, Barragán’s home, untouched since the architect passed away in 1988, is a site that art connoisseurs and architects explore
The echo of Noucentisme and the profile of a changing Barcelona
Noucentisme broke from Gaudí’s Modernist curves, seeking more structured forms – from a 1920s urban vision to a 2024 revival: how Grand Hotel Central on Via Laietana reflects Barcelona’s ongoing...
Gallery of Photography Ireland, Dublin. Becoming the leading avenue for photography
During the coronavirus pandemic, the gallery published their latest book titled ‘Photo Album of Ireland’. The book invites Canadians of Irish heritage to visit their legacy through photography
Degli Uberti, Rome. A store where everything is changeable and constantly changing
Inspired by techwear’s clean designs, attention to volume, focus on materials, Andrea Bonsignore chooses to make clothes for the protagonists, rather than the store itself
CraftMaker, London. Quality over quantity
A space of 1300 square meters, natural light penetrates inside from large windows illuminating the rooms and objects, arranged without a predefined order
Erno: Edicola Romana Non Ordinaria – new life for an old kiosk in Rome
The only way to revive printed matter is to combine it with something to do: to talk, drink, eat and share, as seen at Edicola Romana Non Ordinaria in Rome
Rare Market, Seoul. A potential market for independent brands
A bridge between Europe and Korea, an exporter of new talents: nestled in Seoul’s most affluent neighborhood, a concept store that scouts and selects cutting-edge brands.
Borgo Santandrea: a display of vintage design and respect for the Amalfi Coast
Four years renovation works presenting today Gio Ponti ceramics and other 1950s vintage pieces
Bistro’f, Rome. Officine Fotografiche’s café and a bookstore
«A magazine has to be broad, open to different themes, places, times and genres otherwise it becomes a photo album. I choose magazines based on this criterium» states curator Mariella...
Book and Sons, Tokyo. Bringing together designers and typography lovers
«The desire to pass on the traditional habit of reading and appreciating printed media to the next generation is part of the store name and culture», says store owner Osamu...
The Open House at Central Embassy, Bangkok. Sharing is caring
Wood carving patterns and mirrored panels on the ceiling – changing the movement of the light through the space. Architecture for intersections of light
Riot Concept Store, Naples. An ever-changing multifunctional space
Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood of Naples, Riot gathers a local community with an international and contemporary attitude
5VIE, a local network in Milan with founders Ernesta Del Cogliano and Emanuele Tessarolo
The 2023 theme, Design for Good, highlights the focus on themes such as spirituality, the connection with nature, the relationship with our origins, the drama of incommunicability
Photography Meets Cognitive Science at Rome’s One Room Bookstore
Stefano Ruffa leverages his background in media and cultural studies to curate a diverse collection of photobooks – transitioning from its original San Lorenzo location, OneRoom now thrives in Rome’s...
Pro qm, Berlin. Interdisciplinary debates in Berlin’s Mitte
A different sorting every month to keep up with current focus themes. In conversation with founder Katja Reichard
How Maison Margiela’s Replica Line Bottled Winter’s Essence
From Chamonix’s Snow-Covered Chalets to the Lab: By the Fireplace, part of the Replica collection, draws on the nostalgia of 1970s Chamonix, blending raw materials and alpine culture into a...
Monferrato: ‘Lorto’ Between Local Agriculture and Historic Architecture
In the hilly landscape of Alto Monferrato, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Nordelaia combines the enhancement of truffles, hazelnuts, and local wines with the cuisine of LORTO, led...
No Borders, Mumbai. A platform for cultural exchange without borders
The concept store shares stories, inspires, educates and connects through vintage and designer garments. In conversation with founder Kanika Karvinkop
Arcana: Out-of-Print Art and Design Books in California
Through the interior design, the bookstore holds the semblance of a library, with rows of wall-to-wall books. The architectural firm Johnston Marklee were hired to design the 4,500-square-foot space
Obataimu, Mumbai. Bringing sleepwear outside of the bedroom
An ideology of slow-production with the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi that encourages finding beauty to embrace the cycle of growth and decay
The Writer’s Block, Las Vegas. Are independent bookstores the future?
Any good bookseller knows their readers — and not by following algorithms or the latest trends. In the Amazon era, independent bookstores are still growing
Stockmann Centre: The Largest Department Store in Northern Europe, in the Heart of Helsinki
It was 1852 when Heinrich Georg Franz Stockmann of Lübeck arrived in Finland to work as a bookkeeper and cashier at Nuutajärvi Glassworks
How Type Books Champions Diversity and Local Culture in Toronto
Joanne Saul and Samara Walbohm began with an art gallery in the basement and a bookstore above it, preserving the timeless charm of classic bookstores in a changing world
The Collection Mondrian and Saint Laurent’s relationship with Claude Lalanne – a pop Antithesis
A conversation with Olivier Flaviano, director of the Musée Saint Laurent Paris. He assumed the leadership of this Parisian institution in 2016 and worked for one year with Pierre Bergé
History, Architecture, and Gastronomy in a Transforming Milan
Step inside Ristorante Rubacuori at Château Monfort, a cultural landmark rooted in Milanese Liberty design, where historic architecture intersects with exceptional culinary artistry
Inside the hotel that reframed Tbilisi as a design destination
Opened in 2014 in a Soviet-era publishing house in Vera, Rooms Tbilisi combined reclaimed materials, Georgian contemporary art, and a deliberate rejection of hospitality convention to establish a new language...
Rosa Wolf, Berlin. Five-hundred titles with a soul and old-school customer service
«Why would someone buy a fashion magazine that looks like the others unless it has a defining factor»? Domenico Gutknecht of Rosa Wolf on his fixation with independent-print magazines
Maçka Palas: a Living Tribute to Italian-Turkish Heritage
Embodying the legacy of two civilizations meeting across the Mediterranean: Giulio Mongeri's Art Deco architecture, Ara Guler's photographs, and a hammam-inspired spa
Par Store, Taiwan. Underground Concept Store Scene in Taiwan
Located in Chifeng Street of the Zhongshan District, alongside a variety of other creative outlets and collectives, Par Store is known for their laid-back sense of style and business etiquette.
Milano Fashion Library – from La Mode Illustrée to contemporary publishing
Born in 2021, from Mr. Valisi’s collection, Milano Fashion Library goes back to the nineteenth century to the first ever fashion magazine
Lyra Pramuk’s manifesto for Robot15: Transition
In its fifteenth edition, the Italian electronic music festival reaffirms its research-based and experimental nature by presenting emerging names and a few great comebacks – Lyra Pramuk drafted the manifesto
Soho Roc House, Mykonos – a village facing East, a wooden pier over the rocky seabed
The birth of Soho House, as per Nick Jones, was a necessary step away from the clubs that were in tune with the social scene in London at the time
UCCA Store, Beijing. An inside-out museum experience
Split into two floors, the ground floor is dedicated to the merchandising, but also to the limited-edition artworks, that let visitors bring a piece of art directly home
