Bookshops
Waterstones
This place is great for any kind of book you’re looking for; some Waterstones around London have a coffee shop within it, so a nice place to sit and read amongst other book lovers!
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Borders
Just like Waterstones, Borders is the next big book store chain within London, and it too usually has a coffee shop in it to sit and read in too. A nice way to get away from the hustle and bustle for a while.
rde
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Foyles
Foyles is one of the oldest bookshops, well, ever! Since 1903 as you can see in this photo, but it provides you with pretty much everything too; just seemingly more charming than most, especially if you have the time to read ‘About Foyles’ link.
113-119 Charing Cross Road
London
WC2H 0EB
Telephone: 020 7437 5660
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Riba
Riba is the renowned ‘Royal Institute of British Architects’, their books clearly specialise in architecture, but also good fro graphics, design and theory.
London, RIBA
RIBA Bookshop London
Royal Institute of British Architects
66 Portland Place
London
W1B 1AD
Telephone: +44 (0)191 244 5557
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Magma
Magma is the essential bookshop for any creative being as it’s a great place to go and find books on area’s you had never contemplated before.
It specialises in film, graphics, design, architecture, illustration, animation, art, music, photography, web design, fashion advertising, typography, magazine – basically everything related to the art world!
117-119 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1R 5BY
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7242 9503
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Koenig Books
Koenig books are all over the place, this is their official shop in London, but also run the bookshops at The Serpentine Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery. They specialise in theory/philosophy/history of art, fine art, architecture, design photography and craft. A great place to go if you want books to gain better theoretical understanding of the arts.
www.buchhandlung-walther-koenig.de
80 Charing Cross Road,
Leicester Square,
City of London
WC2H 0BF
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Artwords
These guys pretty much explain themselves perfectly ‘books, magazines and videos on the contemporary visual arts and offers the most up-to-date selection of newly published titles, both nationally and internationally’. So if you’re into your arts then this is a little gem of a place to go to.
www.artwords.co.uk
Shoreditch
Artwords
69 Rivington Street
London EC2A 3AY
Telephone: 020 7729 2000
Hackney
20-22 Broadway Market
London
E8 4QJ
Telephone: 020 7923 7507
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Design Museum
Is the main hub for designers to go to, to get their books. But not only is it for ‘designers’ but fashion, architecture and even art is featured amongst the shelves. Go in and have a browse and a coffee anyway as it looks out on the River Thames by Tower Bridge. Idillyc really.
www.designmuseumshop.com
Design Museum
Shad Thames,
London
SE1 2YD
Telephone: 020 7403 6933
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Tate
Everyone knows of the Tate, and how vast it is, so the bookshop is going to be pretty vast too. Brilliant place to find just really good books on really good art and design. It won’t fail you in wanting to find the good stuff.
www.tate.org.uk/shop/do/Tate-books
Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
Telephone:
+44 (0)20 7887 8888 (menu number 4)
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V&A
The shop here is fanastic for Fashion, Textiles, Jewellery and History, it isn’t strictly a bookshop, but they have alot of other things inside, like most museum, and they tend to be very beautiful, just like the museum itself and it’s contents.
Victoria & Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
London
SW7 2RL
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7942 2000