Reader or not, get set… go to The Stacks!
In the middle of a bustling mall that doubles as a central transport hub, a two-level structure rises like an open staircase. Framed by vertical slats, climb the stairs and find readers flipping through paperbacks, lounging on beanbags. From the ground level, little rooms show shelves brimming with book spines. Above the entire structure, an installation floats, forming orange and fuchsia geometric shapes, its wisps filtering the sunlight into soft, natural light. It makes the perfect light for reading.
Still, this wooden structure in the middle of the mall is a bit of an anomaly. But then again, in fast-paced Manila and our hyperdigital age, hasn’t reading become something of an anomaly, too?
Dr. Seuss famously wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
And indeed, the places you’ll go at The Stacks! Beyond geography, the shelves range from children’s books to theoretical physics, some paperback fiction, and guidebooks on fitness and nutrition. You can expect a wealth of writing by local authors, as well.
In his 1989 book “The Great Good Place,” sociologist Ray Oldenburg wrote about three spaces. The first is the home. The second is the workplace. And the “third space” is the neutral ground that anchors creative community life and togetherness.
For sure, The Stacks falls under a “third space.” Located on the second floor of the Concourse at One Ayala, The Stacks transforms a place designed for commutes, errands, and quick meals, into a third place for pause.
Books for browsing, buying, or taking breathers
The Stacks is supported by local book sellers like Fully Booked and the secondhand bookstore Biblio. But beyond retail, it has been providing a space for grassroots reading communities. Independent publishing studio Packing Sheets, in particular, has been hosting book club sessions, literary discussions, and meet-and-greets with authors. On any given day, you might stumble upon a book signing or a reading, with audiences listening in rapt attention.
Designed for both discovery and rest, underneath the two-level library hall are books for sale in four separate rooms. Most are secondhand from Biblio. On the other side is a booth by Packing Sheets. Some of these stores operate on a buy-one-take-one method, meaning that if you buy two books, you’ll only pay the price of the more expensive book (rarely going above P300), while getting the second book for free.
Meanwhile, above The Stacks is a reading room. Beanbags are scattered across the floor with open shelves within reach. Within each shelf, you’re encouraged to pick up a book and read freely. You can also exchange it with a pre-loved book from your own collection, as long as it’s in decent condition.
Keep an eye out for the “Open Journal.” I came across the random notebook on my second visit and was surprised to find recent entries by total strangers. Each journal entry was time-stamped by passersby. Many were vulnerable, pouring their heart out onto the page—from the struggles of a single mother raising a child on the spectrum, to an office worker at the end of their tether, on their way home from a commute.
Perhaps, in this way, The Stacks also shows that reading isn’t necessarily always solitary, but something that can be shared.
For readers and non-readers
If you find the time to stop by, you might chuckle as you see many people still scrolling on their phones in the open library. While I was chilling on a beanbag, one guy next to me spent about 15 minutes taking different angles of himself on a standing camera, reading.
And then he left, without turning a page. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps he was rushing to catch a bus and planned to finish his book on the way home.
Either way, it felt telling. Phones are known to be addictive, and even amid some scrolling or staged, performative snapshots, there is a tangible feeling in The Stacks felt by most visitors that pulls your attention to pause and read a few pages, reader or not.
Nestled in a transit hub, before heading to their next destination, passersby are invited to consider another kind of journey altogether, to oh, the places you can go, all through the words on a book’s page.
The Stacks is open from Jan. 28 to Feb. 6 at Level 2, Concourse, at One Ayala, Makati City
