Ler Devagar

Ler Devagar occupies a tall former industrial space at Lisbon's LX Factory, combining bookselling with exhibitions and other cultural activity. New and second-hand books are part of the selection, while kinetic objects created by Pietro give the interior another focus beyond the shelves. The business describes the bookshop as a place for readings and the exchange of ideas as well as buying books. Its programme and setting make a visit useful for browsing even without a particular title in mind.

The history is more mobile than the familiar interior suggests. Ler Devagar began in Bairro Alto in 1999 and subsequently occupied several other settings. An invitation to move to LX Factory came in 2008, but the doors there opened in April 2009 according to the shop's own account. Keeping those dates separate avoids confusing the decision to move with the opening itself. The present bookshop forms part of a larger cultural complex, so it can be visited alongside other spaces at LX Factory. Within the shop, the combination of books and objects rewards time spent looking through the different levels rather than treating the building only as a photograph.