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subject: AUC Bookstore Downtown: Design Meets Function [print this page]


AUC Bookstore Downtown: Design Meets Function

The AUC Press' Bookstore changed buildings, and its new location is ultra modern with a state-of-the-art design.

What used to be the cramped administrative offices of the AUC registrar in Sheikh Rihan Palace were knocked down to create a single space over two levels, with large square structural columns that double as bookshelves, and high dark ceilings with fibre optic lights dispersed by crystals, creating a twinkling sky ambiance inspired by ancient Egyptian tombs. The innovative space also includes a caf that spills out onto a garden terrace with palm trees and water-landscaping.

Opened in November 2009 on the eve of the AUC Press' 50th anniversary, the store is one of five AUC Press Bookstores in Cairo, which boast the most comprehensive collection of English-language books and more than 20,000 titles.

Contemporary and elegant, the two floors of books are nicely laid out and the well-stocked, well-marked dark wooden shelves are divided by section. The upper floor holds mostly language materials and non-fiction, and the lower highlights literature, Egyptian art and archaeology, including beautiful large coffee-table books, and all the standards of Naguib Mahfouz, Alaa El Aswany, Khaled Al Khamissi and more.

Prices are standard of the AUC Press and therefore aren't exactly a bargain; but there are frequent sales that offer reasonable discounts and are worth holding out for. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable; and the bookstore offers special orders of any book published in the US or UK as long as it's still in print.

As always, AUC's high security can be slightly annoying; and you have to leave your ID at the door when you go in. However, if you're not a felon and are due for some book-browsing, it's well worth the visit.




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