The Finestres bookstore is now a reality. On Diputació street, between Balmes and Rambla Catalunya, a new 531-square-meter space full of books and armchairs for reading has just opened, with a collection of 35,000 references, in different languages, not only in Catalan and Spanish. In autumn, a second space will open, just opposite, adding 15,000 more references.
No detail has been left to chance, explains bookseller Àurea Perelló. "Everything is thought out," she emphasizes. Those who visit Finestres will find that it shies away from traditional categories, which classify books by genre, theme, or authors' origin. The bookstore proposes a journey that encourages the discovery of stories and authors, generating knowledge, surprise, and discovery. And Sherlock Holmes fans will find a Diogenes Club where they can read peacefully. There's even a fireplace for inspiration.
On its first day, Finestres leaves a rather encouraging image: small queues of readers waiting to enter. "We are very happy," says Perelló. Both the desire to discover the new bookstore and current capacity limitations explain this. The success has made it difficult to fulfill one of its premises, silence, which different signs insistently demand, waiting for the hustle and bustle of the first few days to pass to achieve it.
The Finestres bookstore has been promoted by businessman Sergi Ferrer-Salat —owner of the Ferrer pharmaceutical laboratories—, who has located it where Monvínic used to be, which closed last September after a twelve-year trajectory. In fact, next to Finestres, there is Monvínic Store, which will assist the bookstore with its bar service.
The project is led by Perelló and Mireya Valencia, as booksellers, and Camila Enrich, Marina Espasa, and Kiko Amat, who are in charge of cultural programming. Beyond inviting reading, Finestres will organize intimate encounters with writers from all over the world, breaking away from the usual agenda, and reading clubs, among other cultural activities. The Finestres Narrative Prize has also been created, in Catalan and Spanish, which Albert Pijuan and Camila Sosa won in its first edition, proclaimed simultaneously with the opening.