15th century cathedral now a bookshop

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

Heaven on Earth for bibliophiles: Divine transformation of the 15th century cathedral which is now a bookshop

Architects were allowed to redesign the interior of the 547-year-old Gothic building in Zwolle, Netherlands, on the strict condition they left the original features, such as the pipe organ, stained glass windows intact. Designers have managed to squeeze three floors of retail space into the lofty wings of the cathedral by installing a freestanding and temporary structure. The architects said: 'We wanted all the additions made to the church to be sober, in respect to the church, modest.' The shop, Waanders in de Broeren, opened earlier this summer.