On St. John’s Day, Livraria Lello opened a new wing designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira to the public. A National Monument and considered the most beautiful bookstore in the world, Lello is celebrating its 120th anniversary with an expansion that spans nearly 1,000 square meters and includes four new spaces, among them an auditorium for ongoing cultural programming. On the same day , BABELL, Cidade-Livro kicked off—a six-day international festival that brings together some of the most influential voices in contemporary literature in Porto.
A new wing that extends a mission
The expansion does not seek to replicate the historic bookstore. It seeks to extend its mission. With the new wing, designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Lello’s total area now approaches 1,000 m² and features improved accessibility and circulation, reception areas, and an auditorium for ongoing cultural programming. This infrastructure reinforces the bookstore’s role as a cultural institution in the city for audiences of all kinds.
Álvaro Siza Vieira described the project as a major event, taking place in a prestigious, widely recognized, and high-quality building, emphasizing that the atmosphere is just as important as the impact on the city.
Ai Weiwei, a blank page, and freedom of publication
The inauguration of the new wing coincided with the opening of the “A4” exhibition, a commission by the bookstore to Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. The installation engages with the architecture of Siza Vieira—of whom the artist is a self-confessed admirer—and begins with a simple white sheet of paper, promoting the book as a space for freedom, memory, and the circulation of ideas.
At the same time, a book of poetry by Ai Qing—father of Ai Weiwei and one of the most important Chinese poets of the 20th century—will be published, with a foreword by the artist.
The world’s smallest bookstore dedicated to a single book
Among the new features is the opening of Livraria 1984, a space measuring just 1 m² dedicated exclusively to George Orwell’s *1984*. Conceived by American artist Mike Perry, it is billed as the world’s smallest bookstore dedicated to a single book. Recreating the tradition of selling through a window, it offers an immersive experience where hearing, smell, sight, and touch are engaged simultaneously, inviting each visitor to reflect on the power of freedom and the written word.
BABELL: the book as a ticket
Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Olga Tokarczuk, Javier Cercas, and Byung-Chul Han are just a few of the undeniably influential voices who will gather in Porto over the course of six days.
The festival is based on an innovative system: access to the sessions is granted by purchasing a book at a bookstore in the city, transforming reading into a driving force for cultural participation and positioning Porto as a “City of Books.”
Useful Information
📍Livraria Lello Porto | Rua das Carmelitas, 144, Porto
📅Ai Weiwei’s “A4” Exhibition — starting June 24, 2025
🎟️BABELL, Cidade-Livro — a 6-day festival beginning June 24; admission requires the purchase of a book at a bookstore in the city
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