A Concrete design
The flagship store in Amsterdam is a Concrete Architectural Associates design.A candy store for book aficionados
Sharing love for beautiful books
MENDO is a candy store for book aficionados with a flagship store situated in one of Amsterdam’s most inspirational neighbourhoods, called The 9 Streets (De 9 Straatjes) and an award-winning webshop. Both online and offline, MENDO is fully dedicated to sharing the love for beautiful books.
From the hundreds and thousands of books that are being published every year, people rely on MENDO to select the finest and most relevant ones. MENDO curates on very specific topics: photography, fashion, traveling, lifestyle, culinary books, interior & architecture and graphic design. Moreover, MENDO is known for its unique selection of collector’s editions, which is on display in the store.
For the design of the Amsterdam flagship store MENDO teamed up Concrete Architectural Associates. Concrete came up with a simple, but brilliant idea: a bookstore, made from books. The walls are not made of bricks, but of thousands of black MENDO books. The intimacy of the scenery, combined with the stunning publications by some of the best publishers in the world, has made MENDO one of the most unique and inspiring stores in the Netherlands.
About the design, Concrete’s founder Rob Wagemans says: “Like a house made of bricks, MENDO’s unique bookstore is built with thousands of black books.”
On Facebook Lieke once said: “MENDO equals book porn”. We couldn’t agree more, and you probably can’t either. MENDO is located in the Berenstraat, one of the 9 Streets in the heart of Amsterdam.
Visit us
MENDO.nl eCommerce site of the Year
Our award-winning webshop, created in collaboration with Build in Amsterdam, is an online translation of our physical store and philosophy. Keitaro Suzuki, member of the jury of Awwwards, said: "This sophistication is born from the balance of functionality and visuality and animation. Everything is expressing the atmosphere of the brand."
Build's co-founder Daan Klaver adds: "Mendo sells the most beautiful books in the world: we wanted the site to be one great stage for their books. It’s a unique experience to buy a book in the physical Mendo store, and we wanted to match that feeling online."
'MENDO equals book porn.'
'MENDO equals book porn.'
Apart from the carefully curated collection of books on subjects like fashion, photography, interior and lifestyle, MENDO is known for its unique selection of limited edition books on display.
Press images
Sharing MENDO is highly appreciated. Highres press images from our Flagship store can be downloaded here. Be sure to credit photographer Roel Ruijs and MENDO when you download and publish any of these images.
See what's going on
77 likes
Books for home cooks __ F*ck That’s Delicious A book about the overwhelming power of f*cking amazing delicious food. __ To make the most of the surreal situation we’re currently experiencing, we’ve selected books with recipes you could try at…
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Books for home cooks __ Snoop Dogg: From Crook to Cook Looking for recipes with a bit more personality? Welcome to tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen. __ To make the most of the surreal situation we’re currently experiencing, we’ve selected books…
143 likes
Books for home cooks __ Snoop Dogg: From Crook to Cook Looking for recipes with a bit more personality? Welcome to tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen. __ To make the most of the surreal situation we’re currently experiencing, we’ve selected books…
454 likes
Books for home cooks __ To make the most of the surreal situation we’re currently experiencing, we’ve selected books with recipes you could try at home. __ #mendobooks #mendo #amsterdam
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MENDO IS NOT OPEN. __ At MENDO we’re closing both of our physical stores for obvious reasons. You can reach us here on Instagram (@mendobooks), and email ([email protected]), and as long as circumstances allow us you can shop online at…
357 likes
‘Ricardo Bofill is a modern-day version of Antoni Gaudí: Spanish, eccentrically surreal and one-of-a-kind.’ Image from Ricardo Bofill __ At MENDO, we love to be inspired by everything visual. This time, MENDO’s @daanferwerda selects nine images that caught his eye.…
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Visual Inspiration #7 selected by Daniël Ferwerda __ ‘Documentarist by training, Lixenberg’s photographs tell a thousand stories; considering a life story in a single portrait.’ Image from Dana Lixenberg: Imperial Courts. — At MENDO, we love to be inspired by…
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Back in stock: The MENDO Bookstand. __ Crafted from a single piece of lightweight steel. __ #mendo #mendobooks #bookstand
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Back in stock: The MENDO Bookstand. __ Crafted from a single piece of lightweight steel. __ #mendo #mendobooks #bookstand
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Back in stock: The MENDO Bookstand. __ Crafted from a single piece of lightweight steel. __ #mendo #mendobooks #bookstand
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March Book Deals: Jimmy Nelson’s ‘Homage to Humanity’ __ Travel around the world with this month’s Book deals. We’re not talking leftovers or damaged copies, but straight up bestsellers, at ravishingly reduced prices. All month, both online and in-store(s). __…
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March: Travel Book Deals __ Travel around the world with this month’s Book deals. We’re not talking leftovers or damaged copies, but straight up bestsellers, at ravishingly reduced prices. All month, both online and in-store(s). __ #mendo #mendobooks #bookdeals
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March Book Deals: Jimmy Nelson’s ‘Homage to Humanity’ __ Travel around the world with this month’s Book deals. We’re not talking leftovers or damaged copies, but straight up bestsellers, at ravishingly reduced prices. All month, both online and in-store(s). __…
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March Book Deals: Streets of New York. __ Travel around the world with this month’s Book deals. We’re not talking leftovers or damaged copies, but straight up bestsellers, at ravishingly reduced prices. All month, both online and in-store(s). __ #mendo…
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March Book Deals: Pie Aerts ‘Tales from the Roads Less Traveled’ __ Travel around the world with this month’s Book deals. We’re not talking leftovers or damaged copies, but straight up bestsellers, at ravishingly reduced prices. All month, both online…
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March: Travel Book Deals __ Travel around the world with this month’s Book deals. We’re not talking leftovers or damaged copies, but straight up bestsellers, at ravishingly reduced prices. All month, both online and in-store(s). __ #mendo #mendobooks #bookdeals
77 likes
Visual Inspiration #6 selected by Emile Almekinders. __ ‘Not just a cleverly made and designed book; Green’s strong portraiture never fails to inspire. Image from the book Congregation — At MENDO, we love to be inspired by everything visual. This…
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Visual Inspiration #6 selected by Emile Almekinders. __ ‘Dorethea Lange’s portraits stand out to me, personally. Particularly this portrait of a boy with hard-to-Read-yet-petulant expression. Image from the book Radical Eye. — At MENDO, we love to be inspired by…
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Visual Inspiration #6 selected by Emile Almekinders. __ ‘This painting really comes to life in the book’s 750% magnification, which shows you details you’re never be able to see in a museum.’ Image from Rijks. — At MENDO, we love…
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Piet Versteegden: Ooggetuige __ Dutch street photographer Piet Versteegden has been working under the lee of his own darkroom for over fifty years. In those fifty years he has seen and captured intimate moments around the world. Now it’s time…
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Piet Versteegden: Ooggetuige __ Dutch street photographer Piet Versteegden has been working under the lee of his own darkroom for over fifty years. In those fifty years he has seen and captured intimate moments around the world. Now it’s time…
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Piet Versteegden: Ooggetuige __ Dutch street photographer Piet Versteegden has been working under the lee of his own darkroom for over fifty years. In those fifty years he has seen and captured intimate moments around the world. With this MENDO…
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What’s new. Lotte van Raalte: BODY __ Over the course of 16 months, Lotte van Raalte photographed 46 women, aged 13 to 94, in their most natural form. __ #mendo #mendobooks #lottevanraalte
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What’s new. Lotte van Raalte: BODY __ Over the course of 16 months, Lotte van Raalte photographed 46 women, aged 13 to 94, in their most natural form. __ #mendo #mendobooks #lottevanraalte
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Everything OK not OK __ Piet Oosterbeek sketches a twofold story about young people in Tbilisi, Georgia and examines how we interpret images from a Western perspective. By looking at others and observing their lives, we reflect on ourselves and…
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Nan Goldin: The Other Side. __ An expanded and updated version of Nan Goldin’s seminal book The Other Side. Now being re-released at a time when the discourse around gender and sexual orientation is evolving, The Other Side traces some…
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Visual Inspiration #6 selected by Emile Almekinders. __ At MENDO, we love to be inspired by everything visual. This time, MENDO’s @emilealmekinders selects nine images that caught his eye. Check mendo.nl for more. __ #mendo #mendobooks #visualinspiration
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February Book deals. __ The Eye Nathan Williams highlights over 90 leading creative directors. In-store and on MENDO.nl __ #bookdeals #february #mendo #mendobooks
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February Book deals. __ The Eye Nathan Williams highlights over 90 leading creative directors. In-store and on MENDO.nl __ #bookdeals #february #mendo #mendobooks
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February Book deals. __ In-store and on MENDO.nl __ #bookdeals #february #mendo #mendobooks