The opening of Edicole (“newsstand” in Italian) might feel like a double-edged sword for sufferers of wanderlust. The new shop inside Perth’s historic State Buildings is being described as a bookstore for the modern explorer – with shelves lined with beautiful books on travel, photography, art and architecture.

Sitting in the elegant Postal Hall at the heart of the building alongside Post and Wine Merchant, the shop, which opened yesterday, stocks more than 350 titles including rare publications such as books from luxury Italian publisher Assouline.

There are also curated books on food, film and music by publishers such as Thames & Hudson, Rizzoli, Taschen and Gestalten, and titles such as A Year in the Art World by Matthew Israel, Wine from Another Galaxy by Noble Rot duo Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew and Turquoise Coast by Nevbahar Koc.

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Founder Brendan Lee is a bibliophile with a background in finance. “It’s a passion project for me. One of my favourite things is wandering around bookstores, especially in New York, where I drew a lot of inspiration from,” says Lee.

Also back from New York (after spending six years there) is creative director Carolina Holland. “The Edicole customer is someone who’s looking for something a little bit out of the realm, a unique gift or something beautiful to extend their library,” Holland says. “While the focus is on coffee table and luxury style books, people will find a smaller selection of fiction and non-fiction.”

Although the store – sitting smack-bang in the centre of the Postal Hall – looks and feels like a pop-up, Lee says it’s here to stay. “The store is permanent but had to have modular functionality so it could easily pack down to be stored when events take place in the hall,” says Lee. “It was also important to preserve our presence as a bookstore while integrating with the building itself and our neighbours, adding to the Postal Hall’s piazza-like feel.”

Alessio Fini Studio and Trower Falvo Architects collaborated on the store’s design, which includes a semi-transparent screening that ensures the craftsmanship of the State Buildings’ interior remains visible, and finishing touches such as the seating circling the store that allows readers the chance for a vino from neighbouring Wine Merchant while perusing pictures and prose.

The shop also provides a literary adventure in the form of a tailored subscription service, with a different hand-picked book delivered to readers each month.

Edicole
State Buildings, Corner of Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace, Perth
Hours:
Mon to Thu 12pm–5pm
Fri 12pm–8pm
Sat 2pm–6pm

edicole.com.au